GIFT  OF 
Prof  .E.u  .Vi 


MAIN 


CABBAGE 

CAULIFLOWER  and 

ALLIED   VEGETABLES 
From    Seed  to   Harvest 


By  C.  L.  ALLEN,  Author  of 
BULBS  and 

TUBEROUS-ROOTED     PLANTS 


ILLUSTRATED 


New  York 

ORANGE  JUDD  COMPANY 
iqoi 


y- 

COPYRIGHT,   1901 

BY  ORANGE  JUDD  COMPANY 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Introduction     .        .        . I 

Cabbage    .        .        .        .        . '.     •  ..•'••     ••  .     •        •        •     17 

Cauliflower *.' ',''..        .        .        .69 

Broccoli    .        .        ...        ...  .        .    81 

Collards .  ...    82 

Brussels  Sprouts     .        .        .        ...        .  -    '.        .86 

Kale  or  Borecole    .        .  '      .        .        .        .    '    •.  .90 

Kohl-Rabi         .        .        .        .      '.        ..    .  .        .        .        •    93 

Injurious  Insects     .         .         .        .        ...        .        .96 

Cabbage  Worm    .        .        .        .       ..        .        .       ..        .    96 

Cabbage  Looper  . 98 

Cabbage  Plutella       .....        ..        .        .        .        .104 

Zebra  Caterpillar      ....  *        i        .        .        .        .        .        .  104 

Cutworms     .         .        .        .      -.        .        .        .        .        .  105 

Cabbage    Root    Maggot 106 

Harlequin  Cabbage  Bug 107 

Cabbage   Aphis 109 

Fungous  Diseases    .        .        .        .        .        .      ...       .        .  no 

Club  Root  .     .  .  :     .        .-      .        .        .        .        .  no 

Black  Rot     .        .        .  .        .        .  .  119 


i 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


FIG.  PAGE 

1.  Early  Jersey  Wakefield  Cabbage 54 

2.  Large  or  Charleston  Wakefield  Cabbage      .        .        .55 

3.  Winningstadt  Cabbage      .......     57 

4.  All   Head   Cabbage 59 

5.  Market  Gardener's  Private  Stock  Flat  Dutch  Cabbage    60 

6.  American  Drumhead  Savoy  Cabbage    .        .        .        .62 

7.  Mammoth  Rock  Red  Cabbage 63 

8.  Alpha    Cabbage 67 

9.  Early   Erfurt   Cauliflower 73 

10.  Early  White  Broccoli 81 

11.  Branching  Collards 84 

12.  Brussels   Sprouts       . 88 

13.  Dwarf  Scotch  Kale 90 

14.  White  Vienna  Kohl-Rabi 94 

15.  Cabbage  Worm 97 

1 6.  Cabbage  Looper 99 

17.  Zebra  Caterpillar  and  Moth    .        .        .    "    .        .        .  105 

18.  Harlequin  Cabbage  Bug  .        .        .        .        .        .'"  .    •  108 

19.  Club  Root  of  Cabbage    .        ,        .  .-  ...  •      ...        .  112 

20.  Club  Root  of  Turnip        .        .        ...        .        .  H3 

21.  Club  Root  of  Cauliflower H4 

22.  Club  Root  of  Shepherd's  Purse US 

23.  Club  Root  of  Hedge  Mustard n6 

24.  Cabbage  Field  Destroyed  by  Rot 120 

25.  Diseased  Cabbage  Stem I21 

26.  Cabbage  Leaf,  Showing  Water  Beads     .        .        .        .122 

27.  Leaf  in  Early  Stages  of  Rot I23 


INTRODUCTION. 


Gardening  is  an  art,  and  he  who  produces  the 
most  and  best  from  a  given  acreage  is  the  most  use- 
ful artisan.  To  be  a  successful  gardener — and  the 
term  belongs  to  all  who  own  or  till  the  soil,  no  mat- 
ter what  the  extent  of  the  operations  may  be; — to 
get  the  best  results  from  the  labor  of  one's  hands, 
certain  principles  and  practices  must  be  thoroughly 
understood.  As  these  are  alike  in  all  branches  of 
agriculture  and  horticulture,  we  shall  endeavor  to 
explain  certain  rules,  and  to  state  certain  principles 
and  practices  that  will  be  equally  useful  in  every 
field,  no  matter  what  the  crop  may  be,  or  to  what 
extent  it  may  be  grown. 

Fixed  rules  in  agriculture  cannot  be  laid  down. 
While  principles  are  fixed,  practices  are  conditional ; 
as,  for  instance,  the  time  of  planting  is  purely  a  local 
matter  which  every  one  must  decide  according  to 
the  conditions  of  climate;  while  how  to  plant,  and 
what  to  plant,  are  principles  applicable  to  all 
localities. 

THE  SOIL. 

The  first  requisite  for  a  good  garden  or  farm  is 
good  soil;  this  is  indispensable.  Plants  cannot,  will 
not,  reach  perfection  unless  the  conditions  of  growth 
are  favorable.  It  does  not  follow  that  the  soil  must 
needs  be  naturally  rich,  it  would  be  better  if  it  were ; 


IV  INTRODUCTION. 

but  plants  do  not  live  upon  soil,  they  live  in  it,  and 
partake  of  the  food  it  contains.  It  therefore  fol- 
lows that  if  the  soil  does  not  contain  the  food  the 
plant  demands  for  growth,  and  the  development  of 
its  fruits,  it  must  be  supplied;  there  is  no  alternative. 
The  question  as  to  the  best  kind  of  soil  is  an  arbitrary 
one.  Clay  will  be  clay  and  sand  will  be  sand ;  natural 
conditions  must  be  accepted  as  we  find  them.  But 
it  does  not  follow  that  a  naturally  uncongenial  soil 
cannot  be  made  to  produce  good  crops. 

Our  opinion,  based  upon  the  experience  of  many 
years,  is,  that  the  condition  of  the""  soil  is  of  far 
greater  importance  than  its  character,  and  it  is  upon 
the  former  that  success  largely  depends.  A  lively 
loam  is  undoubtedly  the  best  soil  for  a  garden ;  that 
is,  it  is  congenial  to  a  greater  variety  of  plants  than 
any  other.  Failing  in  this,  we  must  make  the  best 
use  of  such  as  we  have.  Our  experience  and  obser- 
vation show  conclusively  that  many  unproductive 
soils,  both  heavy  clay  and  light  sand,  are  such  from 
lack  of  proper  tillage.  Some  of  the  most  valuable 
lands  under  cultivation  were,  at  one  time,  heavy  wet 
clay,  or  drift  sand.  The  former  was  restored  by 
drainage  and  tillage,  the  latter  by  food  and  tillage. 

The  bulb  lands  of  Holland,  now  worth  $3,000 
per  acre,  are  of  the  same  general  character  as  much 
of  the  pine  lands  of  the  Atlantic  coast  from  Long 
Island  to  Florida,  yet  they  produce  enormous  crops 
when  liberally  fed  with  stable  manure.  The  very 
general  opinion  is  that  the  difference  in  the  cost  of 
labor  to  produce  a  crop  is  more  than  sufficient  to  pay 
for  the  manure  used  on  the  sandy  soil,  where  all  the 
plant  food  employed  is  at  once  available.  The  deli- 
cate roots  of  the  plants  can  easily  penetrate  the  sandy 


INTRODUCTION.  V 

soil  in  every  direction.  At  the  same  time  the  soil  is 
pressed  firmly  around  the  roots.  This  is  an  impor- 
tant consideration,  as  they  are  so  delicate  that  they 
will  immediately  perish  if  exposed  to  the  air,  as  is 
frequently  the  case  in  heavy,  poorly-prepared  soils. 

Another  important  consideration  is  that  a 
greater  variety  of  vegetables  can  be  grown  on  light 
soils  than  on  clay,  and  they  will  also  be  of  better 
quality.  There  are  but  few  plants  that  cannot  be 
successfully  grown  on  light  sandy  soils,  while  there 
are  many  that  cannot  be  induced  to  perfect  their 
crops  on  heavy,  wet,  clay  soil. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  heavy  soil  has  in  it  natu- 
rally more  of  the  elements  essential  to  plant  growth ; 
it  has  more  recuperative  strength,  or  reproductive 
qualities.  With  proper  tillage  and  a  systematic  rota- 
tion of  crops,  the  heavy  soil  will  require  but  very 
little  manure  annually.  While  one  plant  takes  from 
the  soil  certain  active  principles,  it  returns  to  the  soil 
the  elements  that  some  other  plant  assimilates.  Thus 
it  is  shown  that  by  judicious  rotation  our  land  be- 
comes richer  rather  than  poorer.  Wre  do  not  mean 
to  say  that  manure  is  not  essential  on  heavy  soils, 
but  we  do  mean  to  say  that  there  are  essentials  not 
to  be  found  in  the  barnyard,  nor  in  commercial  fer- 
tilizers. These  are  to  be  found  in  tillage. 

TILLAGE. 

I 

The  most  important  factor  in  farm  and  garden 
operations  is  the  preparation  of  the  soil.  This  should 
commence  when  the  ground  is  in  the  best  possible 
condition  for  working.  If  it  is  a  heavy  loam,  or 
clay,  it  should  only  be  worked  when  it  is  sufficiently 


vi  INTRODUCTION. 

dry  to  crumble  into  fine  particles,  by  a  persistent  use 
of  the  plow  and  the  harrow.  Every  particle  of  soil 
contains  a  given  amount  of  plant  food;  in  other 
words,  all  the  elements  that  contribute  to  plant 
growth  or  development  are  found  in  the  soil,  and 
are  acted  upon  by  the  elements  in  the  atmosphere, 
brought  down  from  the  leaves  by  the  sap  to  and 
through  the  roots.  Here  decomposition  of  the  soil 
commences,  and  the  result  is  the  building  up  of  the 
plant.  These  delicate  little  roots  that  perform  this 
important  work  are  of  microscopical  size  and  have 
riot  sufficient  strength  to  penetrate, a  hard  lump  of 
earth;  consequently  they  must  fasten  themselves  to 
the  outside  of  it.  And,  when  the  soil  is  left  in  a 
lumpy  condition — as  they  cannot  enter  it — they 
must  needs  perish  from  without,  as  they  cannot  exist 
a  moment  if  exposed  to  a  dry  atmosphere,  which 
they  must  needs  do  when  the  soil  is  left  in  a  lumpy 
condition  before  planting. 

The  soil,  no  matter  what  its  character  may  be, 
is  in  the  best  possible  condition  for  planting  when 
there  cannot  be  found  in  it  a  particle  larger  than  a 
pea.  The  English  and  French  gardeners  fully 
understand  the  importance  of  this,  and  their  method 
of  preparing  the  soil  with  the  spade  is  much  more 
effective  than  ours,  because  their  tillage  is  more 
thorough.  Not  that  we  cannot  properly  prepare  the 
soil  with  the  plow  and  the  harrow,  but  because  we 
do  not.  Our  mistakes  consist  in  not  being  thorough 
enough.  Most  of  the  tilth  the  soil  gets  during  the 
season  should  be  given  before  the  seed  is  sown,  or  the 
plants  are  set ;  all  that  it  needs  afterward  is  to  keep 
the  surface,  to  the  depth  of  an  inch,  constantly  stirred 
with  a  fine  rake  or  harrow.  This  is  necessary  to 


INTRODUCTION.  Vll 

prevent  evaporation  on  the  one  side,  and,  on  the 
other,  to  prevent  the  roots  from  coming  to  the  sur- 
face. Roots  naturally  seek  moisture,  consequently 
they  will  point  downward  if  the  soil  is  light  and  dry 
above. 

A  still  more  important  point  to  be  considered 
in  this  connection  is,  that  if  the  soil  on  the  surface  is 
light  and  dry  that  beneath  will  always  be  moist,  and 
will  not  bake  because  there  is  no  capillary  attraction 
to  the  surface.  The  ground  should  be  worked  as 
deeply  as  possible,  but  the  plow  or  harrow  should 
never  go  below  the  soil ;  and  it  should  not  be  fine  on 
the  surface  and  coarse  underneath,  but  alike  to  the 
full  depth. 

A  light  sandy  soil  should  be  worked  when 
rather  wet  in  order  that  it  may  pack  closely.  The 
tendency  with  sandy  soils  is  to  become  too  open  and 
loose,  which  allows  the  air  to  circulate  through,  it 
and  to  carry  off  the  moisture  so  essential  to  plant 
growth.  As  with  heavy  soils,  the  surface  should  be 
kept  loose.  Go  over  the  surface  with  a  rake  or  light 
harrow  very  soon  after  every  rain,  and  more  fre- 
quently if  necessary.  Do  not  cultivate  to  kill  weeds, 
but  work  the  land  so  thoroughly  that  weeds  cannot 
grow. 

To  get  the  most  and  best  from  a  given  acreage, 
the  plants  must  needs  be  set  close.  The  soil  is  most 
productive  when  every  particle  of  it  is  furnishing 
food  for  the  plants  growing  in  it.  To  that  end, 
when  it  is  properly  prepared,  the  seed  should  be 
sown,  or  the  plants  set  so  closely  that  the  surface 
will  soon  become  covered.  This  prevents  evapora- 
tion ;  it  also  prevents  the  soil  from  becoming  too  hot 
from  the  sun's  rays.  Between  rows  of  plants  that 


Vlll  INTRODUCTION. 

require  the  whole  season  to  mature,  there  should  be 
one  or  two  rows  of  some  crops  that  mature  quickly, 
so  they  can  perfect  their  growth,  and  may  be  re- 
moved before  their  room  will  be  required.  Thus,  an 
extra  crop  is  secured,  and  the  main  crop  will  be  in- 
creased because  the  extra  crops  do  not  draw  as  much 
moisture  from  the  soil  as  the  sun  would.  Neither 
does  the  soil  suffer  from  becoming  parched. 

To  get  three  or  more  crops  from  the  soil  in  a 
year  is  what  may  be  called  intensive  farming,  which 
it  is,  and  the  only  way  farming  can  be  made  profit- 
able ;  but  this  system  of  farming  requires  large  quan- 
tities of  plant  food. 

MANURE. 

This  should  always  be  in  readiness,  and  given 
the  plants  when  required.  Too  much  manure  at  a 
given  time  is  not  profitable;  tm's  is  particularly  true 
where  commercial  fertilizers  are  employed.  It  is 
far  better  to  feed  the  plants  two  or  three  times  dur- 
ing their  period  of  growth  than  to  apply  the  entire 
amount  at  one  time.  While  it  is  true  that  where 
the  ground  is  heavily  manured  for  a  first  crop,  a 
second  one  can  be  obtained — if  of  an  entirely  differ- 
ent nature — without  any  additional  manure,  it  is 
equally  true  that  each  crop  should  have  an  applica- 
tion, however  light,  and  this  should  be  thoroughly 
incorporated  with  the  soil  before  the  seed  is  sown,  or 
plants  are  set. 

Much  of  the  actual  value  of  manures  is  lost  in 
their  application ;  much  of  it  is  put  into  the  ground 
in  such  a  manner  that  it  is  an  injury  rather  than  a 
benefit  to  the  plants.  It  is  a  common  occurrence  to 


INTRODUCTION.  IX 

see  crops  injured  to  a  great  extent  by  a  too  free  use 
of  commercial  fertilizers,  and  in  a  test  made  with 
some  of  the  leading  brands,  it  was  found  that  five 
hundred  pounds  to  the  acre  gave  better  results  than 
did  a  ton.  In  this  trial  the  weather  was  an  important 
factor,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  following  statement : 

The  fertilizers  were  largely  put  in  the  drills; 
and  before  the  crops  were  half  grown  a  period  of 
rainy  weather  set  in,  so  that  the  soil  was  completely 
vSoaked  for  more  than  a  month.  This  rendered  solu- 
ble all  the  fertilizers.  The  result  was  that  the  crops 
could  not  consume  them.  Drouth  and  extremely 
hot  weather  followed,  which  caused  the  caustic  prop- 
erties of  the  fertilizers  to  completely  burn  up  the 
roots  of  the  plants,  where  the  large  amounts  were 
used,  while  the  lesser  amount  proved  a  benefit. 

No  matter  how  little  or  how  much  manure  is 
used,  or  whatever  the  character  of  it  may  be,  it 
should  be  evenly  and  thoroughly  incorporated  into 
the  soil  and  the  soil  made  light  by  tillage  so  that  the 
roots  of  the  plants  will  find  it  all  and  use  as  much  or 
as  little  as  may  be  required. 

Where  land  is  constantly  under  cultivation,  and 
is  made  to  produce  two  or  more  crops  annually, 
both  barnyard  manure  and  commercial  fertilizers  in 
equal  values  must  be  used  liberally,  and  a  judicious 
rotation  of  crops  should  be  observed. 

This  system  of  cultivation,  for  other  than 
cereals,  has  been  found  to  be  the  only  method  that 
will  make  both  the  land  and  the  owner  rich.  Many 
instances  could  be  cited  where  the  truckers  near  our 
large  cities  are  making  a  profit  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  per  acre,  and  that  on  farms  of  two  hun- 
dred acres  in  extent. 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

SEED  BEDS. 

Too  much  pains  cannot  be  taken  with  the  seed 
bed,  although  many  crops  are  injured,  sometimes 
ruined,  by  taking  too  much  pains.  The  mistake 
comes  from  having  the  soil  of  the  bed  too  rich,  which 
has  the  effect  of  making  the  plants  too  succulent  and 
weak.  The  seed  bed  should  be  carefully  prepared, 
but  not  a  particle  of  manure  of  any  kind  used.  Let 
it  be  a  part  of  the  farm  or  garden,  choosing  an  open, 
airy  situation,  and  so\v  the  seeds  on  a  dry  day. 

% 

WHY  SEEDS  FAIL  TO  GROW. 

The  general  impression  is  that  a  seed  must  grow 
if  planted,  no  matter  when,  how  or  where.  Life  in 
the  seed  form  is  persistent,  and  will  manifest  itself 
under  great  difficulties,  but  it  cannot  surmount  all 
obstacles  that  oppose  it.  There  are  many  reasons 
why  seeds  fail  to  germinate,  or  to  grow  after  germi- 
nating; these  are  but  little  understood,  and  because 
they  are  not,  failures  are  frequent,  and  the  loss  is 
attributed  to  poor  seed  when  it  should  be  charged 
to  a  want  of  knowledge  of  the  requirements  of 
plant  life. 

A  frequent  cause  of  failure  is  because  the  seeds 
are  not  sown  at  the  proper  time.  Some  kinds  are 
sown  too  early,  others  too  late.  Seeds  with  a  hard 
outer  covering,  like  the  asparagus,  should  be  sown 
as  early  as  possible  in  the  spring,  in  fact,  they  would 
do  better  if  sown  in  autumn,  particularly  if  the  soil 
is  light,  so  that  the  winter's  snows  do  not  pack  it 
down,  as  is  the  case  with  clay  soils.  Frost,  or  mois- 
ture, does  not  injure  seeds  of  this  character;  on  the 


INTRODUCTION.  XI 

contrary,  they  will  not  germinate  if  put  in  late  so 
that  they  cannot  have  the  benefit  of  these  influences, 
which  would  be  fatal  to  other  seeds.  On  the  other 
hand,  many  seeds  must  not  be  planted  too  early; 
prominent  in  this  class  is  the  nasturtium,  a  seed  that 
long  retains  its  vitality  when  kept  dry,  but  will  not 
germinate  in  cold  soil,  hence  the  necessity  of  late 
sowing.  To  make  success  sure  the  requirements  of 
each  species  should  be  studied. 

Many  seeds  germinate  quickly  when  sown,  but 
the  plants  make  a  feeble  growth,  and  the  gardener 
cannot  understand  why  he  has  such  weak  plants, 
when  others  of  the  same  kind  are  strong,  and  that 
in  soil  not  so  rich  in  plant  food.  This  comes  from 
the  manner  in  which  the  seeds  are  sown.  It  is  a 
common  practice  in  seed  sowing  to  make  the  drills 
without  first  preparing  the  soil  finely,  the  seed  is 
then  sown  among  the  small  lumps,  and  covered  as 
lightly  as  possible,  \vhen  it  should  first  be  made  fine 
and  then  covered  with  fine  soil,  which  should  be 
pressed  firmly  around  the  seed.  This  principle  has 
been  well  known  and  practiced  for  many  centuries. 
One  of  the  first  elaborate  works  on  farming,  "Our 
Country  Farm,"  published  in  France,  1616,  says: 
"When  the  seed  is  sown  let  the  earth  be  made  very 
fine  and  press  it  hard  over  the  seed  with  the  feet." 
There  is  a  vital  principle  in  this  method  not  suffi- 
ciently understood,  but  now  generally  practiced. 

There  is  stored  up  in  every  seed  a  latent  germ, 
the  embryo  of  a  new  life,  the  development  of  which 
is  conditional  upon  other  natural  causes.  The  influ- 
ences that  act  upon  the  seed  to  cause  growth  are  heat, 
air  and  moisture ;  and  without  a  proportionate  quan- 
tity of  each  there  can  be  no  plant  life.  Now,  it  follows 


Xll  INTRODUCTION. 

that  when  a  seed  is  put  into  tin-  ground  and  loosely 
covered  with  light,  dry  soil,  it  does  not  come  in  con- 
tact with  sufficient  moisture  to  soften  its  outer  coat- 
ing, neither  is  there  sufficient  heat,  because  of  the 
too  great  circulation  of  air  around  the  seed,  to  pro- 
duce the  chemical  changes  upon  which  vegetable 
growth  depends. 

Again,  when  we  place  a  seed  into  the  earth  it 
immediately  commences  growth — when  the  condi- 
tions are  favorable — in  two  opposite  directions, 
upward  into  the  atmosphere  and  downward  into  the 
earth,  the  two  sources  from  which  it  obtains  its  food. 
It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  the  first  root  the  seed 
puts  forth  furnishes  the  young  plant  with  food — it 
does  not ;  it  simply  holds  the  plant  in  place  until  the 
true  roots,  by  which  the  plant  is  fed,  are  formed. 
The  first,  or  seed  leaves,  contain  the  food  for  the 
infant  plant,  to  nourish  it  until  its  true  leaves  and 
roots  are  formed,  and  do  not  perform  any  of  the 
functions  of  the  plant. 

The  feeding  roots  of  any  plant  or  tree  are  deli- 
cate white  fibers,  so  small  as  rarely  to  be  seen  with 
the  naked  eye,  and  are  never  seen  by  the  casual  ob- 
server. Now,  when  these  roots  are  formed,  if  the 
soil  is  not  pressed  firmly  around  the  main  root,  these 
feeders  have  nothing  to  live  upon;  they  must  come 
in  immediate  contact  with  moisture,  or  the  warm, 
dry  air  will  destroy  them,  and  the  whole  plant  will 
stand  still  until  new  roots  are  formed,  or  in  the 
meantime  perish.  Hence  the  necessity  of  pressing 
the  soil  firmly  around  the  seeds. 

In  thinning  out  the  young  plants,  where  the 
seed  has  been  sown  too  thickly,  the  work  should  not 
be  long  deferred,  but  done  before  the  second  pair  of 


INTRODUCTION.  Xlll 

loaves   lias    developed,    and    the  soil  pressed  firmly 
around  the  roots  of  the  remaining  plants. 

DEEP   PLANTING. 

This  is  another  frequent  cause  of  the  seeds' 
failure  to  germinate,  or  to  make  rapid  growth  after 
sprouting.  The  importance  o£  more  care  in  this 
direction  cannot  he  overestimated.  Our  observa- 
tion and  experiments  made  in  planting  various 
seeds  at  different  depths  show  some  astonishing 
results.  Take,  for  instance,  sweet  corn,  and,  in 
planting,  cover  from  one-half  inch  to  five  inches 
in  depth.  The  former  will  germinate  without  a 
loss  of  five  per  cent.,  while  the  latter  will  not 
grow  five  per  cent.,  and  the  exact  ratio  will  be 
kept  up.  The  cause  for  the  difference  is,  that  the 
conditions  of  growth  are  not  complied  with — the 
deficit  being  heat,  which,  at  the  season  of  corn  plant- 
ing, does  not  exist  at  so  great  a  depth  from  the  sur- 
face. Again,  corn  planted  at  a  depth  of  three  inches 
will  not  make  as  rapid  or  healthy  growth  as  when 
covered  only  half  an  inch,  and  for  this  reason :  Corn 
makes  two  sets  of  roots, — surface  and  underground— 
the  one  being  quite  as  important  as  the  other.  The 
surface  roots  form  just  above  the  first  joint  of  the 
plant,  which  is  about  an  inch  above  the  kernel.  If 
corn  is  planted  three  inches  deep,  as  soon  as  it  has 
used  up  the  food  that  is  stored  up  in  the  kernel, 
growth  ceases  until  a  new  and  unnatural  joint  is 
f(  >rmed  at  the  surface,  from  which  these  aerial  roots 
proceed.  Tn  planting  corn  in  mellow  ground,  the 
hoe  should  never  be  used,  the  feet  alone  being  the 
best  implements  that  can  be  employed  for  the  purpose. 


XIV  INTRODUCTION. 

When  the  corn  is  dropped,  with  the  foot  scrape  suffi- 
cient soil  over  it  to  cover  to  the  depth  of  half  an 
inch,  then  step  on  the  hill  in  such  a  manner  that  it 
will  get  the  whole  weight  of  the  body,  no  matter 
how  heavy  it  may  be.  This  same  rule  will  apply  to 
the  planting  of  most  other  seeds.  Proper  care  in 
planting,  and  the  too  common  practice  of  burying 
seeds  is  just  the  difference  between  success  and  fail- 
ure in  their  germination  and  growth. 

SYSTEMATIC    ASSISTANCE. 

The  discouragements  from  trifling  neglects  are 
frequent  means  of  letting  the  garden  go  to  waste, 
when  labor  intelligently  employed  would  add  mate- 
rially to  the  happiness  of  home  by  surrounding  it  by 
the  beautiful  and  useful  in  plant  life.  No  matter 
how  pleasant  home  may  be,  how  small  the  place 
allotted  for  the  garden,  climbing  vines  on  the  fence, 
or  half  a  dozen  tomato  plants  that  can  easily  be 
grown,  even  in  a  city  yard,  will  materially  enhance 
them.  Seeds  sown  with  care,  whether  of  vegetables 
or  for  flowers,  will  surely  grow  and  add  to  the 
pleasures  of  the  family. 

There  is  not  a  seedsman  in  the  land  who  is  not, 
at  one  time  or  another,  accused  of  selling  poor  seed, 
at  least  so  far  as  its  growing  qualities  are  concerned. 
We  have  heard  complaints  .  from  every  quarter, 
heaped  upon  every  seedsman's  head,  and  while  there 
are  undoubtedly  some  causes  for  complaint,  we  ear- 
nestly believe  that  in  more  than  95  per  cent,  of  the 
cases,  poor  seed  means  poor  attention.  In  every 
locality  there  is  always  a  man  for  whom  every  seed 
will  grow — "a  man  of  luck/' — there  is  also  generally 


INTRODUCTION.  XV 

to  be  found  a  woman  for  whom  all  plants  will  grow 
if  she  looks  at  them.  In  each  instance  may  be  found 
a  person  who  understands  a  plant's  requirements. 
It  matters  not  whether  this  knowledge  is  innate  or 
acquired ;  it  is  that  which  makes  the  plant  grow. 

To  get  the  most  from  the  land,  at  the  least  pos- 
sible cost,  has  been,  and  is  the  great  object  and  aim 
of  the  agriculturists  of  our  country ;  and  we  wish  to 
emphasize  that  we  confine  it  to  our  country,  as  our 
methods  are  but  little  followed  in  other  countries. 
"Keep  the  cultivator  going,"  we  are  told,  is  the  secret 
of  success  with  cultivated  crops.  To  keep  the  pres- 
ent "imp roved"  cultivator  going  through  field  crops, 
as  is  now  generally  practiced,  is  not  the  secret  of 
success,  but,  to  a  great  extent,  the  cause  of  failure. 
While  to  keep  a  cultivator  going,  as  it  should  be 
done,  would  be  the  secret  of  success,  as  is  claimed. 

We  set  cabbage  plants  for  the  heads  they  pro- 
duce; tomato  plants  for  the  fruits  they  yield;  we 
plant  potatoes  for  an  increase  of  their  kinds.  In 
either  case,  to  get  the  desired  results,  we  must  have 
vigorous  plants.  We  cannot  have  a  large  head  of 
cabbage  without  a  strong  stem  to  support  it ;  we  can- 
not have  a  large  yield  of  good,  well-developed  toma- 
toes unless  we  have  vigorous  vines;  neither  can  we 
have  a  large  yield  of  potatoes  unless  we  have  strong 
plants  to  produce  them.  This  is  cause  and  effect. 
Now  where  do  the  stem  of  the  cabbage  and  the 
vines  of  the  tomato  and  the  potato  get  their  strength  ? 
We  answer,  from  the  united  action  of  leaf  and  root, 
the  same  as  the  trunk  of  the  tree  is  built  up  in  order 
that  it  may  produce  a  crop  of  fruit.  There  can  be 
no  growth  unless  there  is  an  equal  amount  of  leaf 
force  and  root  force.  In  other  words,  if  you  take 


XVI  INTRODUCTION. 

one-half  the  roots  from  the  vines,  they  will  have  but 
half  the  strength  required  to  do  their  work,  conse- 
quently one-half  the  crop  will  be  the  result.  That 
is  just  what  the  cultivator,  as  generally  used,  does. 

To  buy  fertilizer  to  grow  crops,  then  delib- 
erately go  through  the  field  and  destroy  half  of  them 
is  poor  agricultural  economy.  But  it  is  the  common 
practice,  and  half-crops  are  the  result.  The  object 
of  cultivation  is  to  build  up  the  plant,  in  order  that 
it  may  produce  its  fruits.  Leaf  growth  and  root 
growth  must  alike  be  encouraged ;  the  means  to  that 
end  are  simple.  The  soil  must  first  be  worked  deep 
and  made  rich,  and  the  supply  of  plant  food  must  be 
deep  down  to  draw  the  roots  from,  instead  of  to,  the 
surface  which  is  to  be  kept  stirred  frequently,  or 
just  as  often  as  necessity  requires  to  keep  it  fine 
and  loose. 

The  implement  for  that  purpose  is  one  that  can- 
not possibly  stir  the  soil  to  a  greater  depth  than  one 
inch.  A  simple  one  we  have  used  is  a  heavy  oak 
plank  pierced  with  strong  spikes,  and  this  is  kept 
going.  Our  best  cultivators  of  cabbage  have  long 
since  thrown  away  the  cabbage  plow,  and,  instead  of 
working  deep,  work  the  surface  only,  and  this  with 
the  best  possible  results.  In  countries  where  the 
crops  are  all  worked  by  hand,  which  means  surface 
culture  only,  the  average  yield  of  potatoes  is  fully 
double  that  of  ours.  Now,  we  do  not  wish  to  do 
away  with  the  horse  in  agriculture,  but  do  wish  to 
have  him  attached  to  implements  that  will  assist 
rather  than  destroy  plant  growth. 

These  preliminary  remarks  are  applicable  to  the 
cultivation  of  all  crops.  Specific  instructions  will  be 
given  in  their  respective  chapters. 


CABBAGE. 


The  history  of  the  cabbage,  like  that  of  most 
cultivated  vegetables,  is  unknown.  We  only  know 
that  it  has  been  in  common  use  for  more  than  2,000 
years  among  all  peoples  who  have  had  vegetable  gar- 
dens. The  Dutch  were  the  first  known  to  have  made 
a  classification  of  varieties,  and  they  did  not  multiply 
varieties  to  any  great  extent.  The  origin  of  the 
cabbage,  however,  is  of  minor  importance  compared 
with  a  knowledge  of  its  cultivation,  and  the  relative 
value  of  the  numerous  varieties,  together  with  a 
knowledge  of  selection,  which  will  enable  the 
grower  to  improve  upon  the  types  under  cultivation, 
and  to  develop  new  ones. 

A  knowledge  of  selection  is  so  important  to  the 
farmer  and  trucker  that  it  is  necessary  to  speak  of  it 
as  a  principle  in  agriculture,  in  order,  not  only  to 
show  how  new  varieties  have  been  secured,  but  how 
easily  others  can  be  developed  by  careful  observa- 
tion. In  every  field  of  grass,  grain  or  vegetables, 
changes  through  climatic  influences,  or  as  results 
from  a  change  of  soil,  are  constantly  going  on. 
Sometimes  in  the  line  of  improvement,  sometimes 
the  reverse.  For  that  reason  we  shall  speak  fully 
and  freely  of  selection  in  its  relation  to  seed-growing, 
in  order  that  every  gardener  and  farmer  may  avail 
himself  of  the  advantages  that  evolve  through  the 

17 


1 8  CABBAGE. 


development  of  vegetable  forms,  from  causes  he  may 
not  know  or  understand. 


SELECTION. 

A  familiar  illustration  of  this  principle  may  be 
seen  in  the  history  of  the  development  of  the  cab- 
bage. Changes  in  form,  through  climatic  influ- 
ences, are  shown  to  have  been  greater  in  this  than 
with  any  other  vegetable.  In  a  wild  state  the  parent 
of  our  cultivated  forms  of  cabbage  has  but  few 
leaves,  which  are  loosely  arranged,  but  all  that  are 
necessary  to  protect  the  germ  of  the  coming  season's 
growth,  which  is  to  produce  seed  for  the  perpetua- 
tion of  the  species.  When  taken  to  a  colder  climate 
more  protection  becomes  necessary.  This  is  fur- 
nished by  additional  leaves,  which  are  of  a  finer  tex- 
ture and  more  compactly  arranged.  The  result  of 
this  care  is  the  solid  head  of  our  present  varieties  of 
cabbage.  From  two  or  three  distinct  types  intro- 
duced from  Holland  early  in  this  century  a  large 
number  of  varieties,  more  or  less  distinct,  have  been 
produced  wholly  by  careful,  and  in  many  instances 
systematic,  selection. 

To  more  clearly  illustrate  this  principle  let  us 
note  some  of  the  points  in  the  development  of  forms, 
where  the  cabbage  is  grown  to  the  greatest  perfec- 
tion. Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  is  probably  the  most 
congenial  home  of  the  cabbage  to  be  found  in  this 
country.  Nowhere  else  is  it  so  generally  grown,  or 
of  a  better  quality,  and  here  is  where  the  greatest 
number  of  truly  distinct  varieties  have  originated. 
There  is  probably  a  greater  variety  of  soil  to  be 
found  in  close  proximity  here,  than  in  any  other  part 


CABBAGE.  IQ 

of  the  United  States.  On  the  one  side  is  a  heavy  but 
friable  loam,  capable  of  producing  enormous  crops. 
On  the  other  side  the  soil  is  of  a  light,  sandy  charac- 
ter, with  but  little  recuperative  strength.  Interme- 
diate is,  in  sections,  a  turfy  and  sandy  loam,  and 
beneath  all  is  a  gravelly  subsoil,  a  condition  best 
suited  for  cabbages. 

In  most  countries  there  are  certain  districts  and 
some  particular  farms  which  are  famous  for  the 
production  of  some  special  crop  and  where  the  same 
is  extensively  cultivated.  In  such  localities  there 
are  usually  to  be  found  some  men  who  are  leaders  in 
their  principal  industry ;  they  are  regarded  as  author- 
ities, and  their  advice  is  taken  on  all  matters  that  per- 
tain to  their  calling.  This  is  the  case  on  Long  Island, 
in  regard  to  the  cabbage,  where  certain  farmers  pos- 
sessing a  remarkable  degree  of  intelligence,  and  who 
are  close  observers  and  thinkers  as  well  as  workers, 
have  made  the  growing  of  cabbage  a  specialty. 
These  men  have  made  selection,  as  a  choice  in  regard 
to  form  and  habit,  a  study.  They  have  chosen  for 
a  purpose,  either  as  regards  earliness  or  lateness,  or 
for  the  development  of  a  desired  form.  Persistent 
labor  and  watchful  care  in  this  direction  have  been 
the  means  of  producing  the  best  strains  or  varieties 
of  cabbage  in  cultivation. 

While  variations  of  climate  produce  wonderful 
changes  in  vegetable  forms,  it  is  a  well-established 
fact  that  any  vegetable  grown  in  a  given  soil  will 
assume  a  very  different  form  when  grown  in  either 
a  heavier  or  lighter  one.  This  has  been  shown  in  a 
remarkable  degree  with  the  cabbage.  A  given 
variety  grown  for  a  long  number  of  years  on  a  heavy 
soil,  with  a  liberal  supply  of  plant  food,  proper  care 


2O  CABBAGE. 

in  growing  the  plants  and  in  transplanting  them, 
and  constant  cultivation  until  the  crop  is  matured, 
will  develop  a  type  remarkable  for  size  and  vigor, 
with  excellent  keeping  qualities,  and  be  what  is 
known  as  a  Late  Flat  Dutch  or  Drumhead  cabbage. 
On  the  other  hand,  take  the  same  stock  seed,  grow 
it  on  a  light,  sandy  soil,  under  the  same  climatic 
influences,  with  the  same  care  in  cultivation,  always 
selecting  with  a  view  to  earliness  and  solidity,  and 
the  result  will  be,  in  the  same  number  of  years,  a 
variety  of  the  same  general  form,  but  of  smaller  size, 
and  very  much  earlier.  Again,  a  soil  intermediate 
in  character,  from  the  same  stock,  during  the  same 
period,  with  the  same  care  in  selection,  will  give  a 
variety  intermediate  in  character  as  well  as  in  period 
of  growth.  Under  such  conditions  have  been  pro- 
duced the  several  varieties  introduced  from  Long 
Island. 

It  is  an  established  principle  in  agriculture  that 
a  sandy  soil  is  favorable  for  an  early  growth,  and  a 
heavy  soil  for  a  continuous  growth.  Early  and  late, 
large  and  small  varieties,  are  not  to  be  expected  from 
the  same  soil  and  under  the  same  conditions  of 
growth,  both  natural  and  artificial.  It  must,  of 
necessity,  take  a  longer  time  to  grow  a  head  of  cab- 
bage weighing  twenty  pounds  than  one  half  the 
weight.  I  have  thus  far  spoken  of  the  development 
of  the  cabbage  by  selection  under  natural  conditions, 
but  there  are  other  methods  employed  by  specialists. 
These  are  of  an  artificial  character  and  have  been 
material  helps  in  selection.  When  these  specialists 
harvest  their  stock  seed,  .they  examine  each  plant 
carefully  before  cutting  it,  and  if  the  seed  is  of  large 
size  it  is  rejected,  because  they  hold  that  such  seeds 


CABBAGE.  21 

will  make  leaves  instead  of  heads.  Besides  that 
these  men  will  not  use  seed  until  it  is  at  least  three 
years  old ;  for  the  same  reason  they  will  not  use  large 
seed.  This  statement  corroborates  the  assertion  that 
the  conditions  favorable  for  the  production  of  the 
fruit  are  unfavorable  for  the  production  of  a  good 
quality  of  seed.  We  may,  however,  add  that  a  hand- 
some sample  is  not  always  a  good  sample,  always 
excepting  instances,  as  in  the  cereals,  where  the  seed 
is  the  part  consumed. 

Local  causes  have  more  to  do  in  forming  a  type 
than  the  efforts  of  all  the  horticulturists  in  the  world 
combined.  No  one  can  change  natural  laws  one 
iota,  and  they  will  control  vegetable  growth  in  spite 
of  all  that  man  can  do.  All  the  most  scientific  (and 
this  means  practical,  for  a  man  that  is  truly  practical 
is  absolutely  scientific)  can  do  is  to  work  in  harmony 
with  the  conditions  of  climate  and  soil  as  they  exist. 
If  a  given  variety  does  better  on  a  certain  soil  than 
on  another,  that  is  the  one  to  grow  at  all  times,  and 
in  a  locality  where  any  vegetable  form  shows  a  ten- 
dency to  improve,  under  good  cultivation,  there  the 
seed  should  be  grown  to  perpetuate  it.  And  where 
any  vegetable  form  shows,  in  the  slightest  degree, 
an  inclination  to  deteriorate,  even  with  the  best  cul- 
tivation, there  the  seed  should  not  be  saved  to  per- 
petuate the  variety. 

Probably  more  distinct  types  or  strains  of  cab- 
bage have  originated  on  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  than 
in.  any  other  section  in  the  world ;  and  why  ?  First, 
because  cabbage  succeeds  best  here;  and  secondly, 
because  of  the  marked  difference  in  soil  in  close 
proximity.  Sixty  years  ago  there  were  but  three 
distinct  varieties  of  cabbage  grown  there,  viz.,  Flat 


22  CABBAGE. 

Dutch,  Early  York  and  Red  Dutch,  the  two  latter 
almost  wholly  from  imported  seed.  The  farmers 
that  had  been  growing  the  Flat  Dutch  for  the  past 
100  or  more  years  were  in  the  habit  of  saving  their 
own  seed,  quite  as  much  from  economic  reasons  as 
for  the  improvement  of  type.  In  every  town  there 
was  usually  to  be  found  a  farmer  who  had  an  eye 
to  business,  lie  began  to  save  seed  for  others  than 
himself,  and  always  selecting  for  this  purpose  the 
best  heads.  By  this  means,  after  a  few  years,  he 
established  a  local  reputation  as  a  seed  grower,  which 
proved  quite  remunerative. 

As  before  stated,  on  Long  Island  there  is  a  great 
variety  of  soil,  varying  from  a  light  sandy  to  a 
heavy  loam,  the  north  side,  in  its  entire  length,  being 
the  heavier,  the  south  light,  while  the  center  is  inter- 
mediate in  character.  Of  course  there  are  small 
patches  of  light  soil  to  be  found  with  the  heavy,  and 
the  reverse ;  but  the  rule  is  as  stated.  Now  on  these 
different  soils,  the  local  specialists  have  developed 
three  distinct  types  of  the  Flat  Dutch  cabbage :  Early, 
intermediate,  and  late,  and  from  these  most  of  the 
popular  varieties  have  been  obtained. 

We  must  here  say  that  most  of  these  growers 
selected  for  head  only,  which  is  very  natural,  as 
heads  are  what  are  wanted  for  sale;  and  how  they 
would  look  as  a  type  in  the  field,  whether  all  the 
heads  were  very  deep,  or  very  flat,  was  of  no  conse- 
quence, providing  each  plant  would  make  a  solid 
head,  fit  for  market.  Some  of  these  specialists, 
however,  were  more  observing;  they  admired  uni- 
formity of  shape,  and  they  saw,  too,  that  while  a 
perfect  head  was  desirable,  a  healthy  and  vigorous 
growth  was  essential  for  the  preservation  of  the  type. 


CABBAGE.  23 

as  well  as  to  render  the  plant  more  vigorous  in  win- 
ter, that  is,  to  secure  good  keeping  qualities.  To 
that  end  plants  were  selected  for  seed  purposes  that 
had  thick,  smooth  and  perfectly  shaped  outer  leaves. 
One  grower,  whom  we  will  mention  as  a  type 
of  the  men  who  have  rendered  the  country  the 
greatest  good  in  the  selection  of  varieties,  had  this 
end  constantly  in  view.  For  nearly  sixty  years  this 
man  made  cabbage  his  specialty,  but  not  for  seed  pur- 
poses. His  object  was  to  have  the  best  second  early 
cabbage  in  market,  and  to  have  it  in  advance  of  all 
his  competitors.  At  that  time  New  York  and  Brook- 
lyn depended  almost  wholly  for  their  cabbage  upon 
Long  Island  and  New  Jersey,  and  the  whole  supply 
was  grown  within  a  radius  of  fifteen  miles  from  the 
city  hall  of  New  York.  Consequently,  the  man  who 
had  the  earliest  cabbage  had  the  best  market,  and  if 
he  could  have  a  week's  sale  in  advance  of  his  neigh- 
bors, he  was  the  envy  of  all  others,  because  his  profits 
were  greater  than  theirs.  This  man  would  never 
sell  a  seed,  and  but  for  his  death  this  strain  would 
never  have  been  sent  out,  and  the  truckers  would  not 
have  had  All  Head  cabbage,  which  we  consider  the 
best  Early  Flat  Dutch  cabbage  ever  sent  out.  Of 
this  there  are  already  several  synonyms,  as  every 
dealer  feels  it  a  duty  to  his  business  to  have  his  own 
name  attached  to  each  variety  he  sends  out,  and  in 
a  sense  he  is  right,  and  that  sense  is  his  care  in  selec- 
tion. No  matter  how  good  a  type  may  be,  if  the 
same  care  is  not  used  in  perpetuating  it,  as  was  given 
to  establish  it,  deterioration  will  follow.  So  when 
the  seedsman  gives  any  variety  his  special  care  in 
selection  he  has  a  perfect  right  to  prefix  the  variety 
with  his  own  name. 


24  CABBAGE. 

The  same  rule  holds  good  with  the  variety 
known  as  Stein's  Early  Flat  Dutch,  which  was  saved 
by  another  careful  specialist,  and  in  about  the  same 
way.  This  is  a  larger  variety,  is  shorter  stemmed, 
and  not  quite  as  early,  and  is  exceedingly  useful  as 
a  -second  Early  Flat  Dutch.  This  also  has  many 
synonyms,  as  we  shall  show  later  on. 

In  the  origin  of  varieties  we  shall  mention  but 
one  more  in  a  special  way,  that  one  being  the  "Mar- 
ket Gardener's  Private  Stock"  Flat  Dutch,  which 
was  a  selection  made  by  a  very  intelligent  market 
gardener  who  did  quite  a  seed  trade  among  the 
farmers  of  his  section.  His  farm  was  one  of  the 
best  on  Long  Island,  and  the  soil  was  of  the  heaviest 
loam,  which  was  favorable  for  continuous  growth. 
For  many  years  a  careful  selection  had  been  made 
with  a  view  of  large  and  solid  heads  of  good  keeping 
quality.  It  was  locally  known  as  the  Acme,  and  also 
Houseman's,  from  the  man  who  had  grown  it  for 
years. 

GROUPS. 

There  are  under  general  cultivation  five  separate 
and  distinct  groups  of  cabbage,  viz.,  Flat  Dutch  or 
Drumhead ;  the  conical  or  pointed  heads ;  the  Savoy ; 
the  Red;  and  the  Danish  or  Hollander  Ball  Head. 
These  are  the  parents  of  types,  almost  innumerable, 
variations  in  point  of  earliness  or  shape,  which  are 
either  due  to  climatic  influences  or  conditions  of  soil. 

Types  are  only  established  by  persistent  effort 
in  the  line  of  selection,  and  that  in  a  given  locality, 
because  if  a  change  of  locality  is  annually  made,  there 
will  be  a  small  but  sure  inclination  for  the  plant  to 
adapt  itself  to  a  new  condition  of  growth.  Some 


CABBAGE.  25 

kinds  do  this  quicker  than  others.  The  cabbage 
probably  will  change  less  in  one  year  than  most  other 
vegetables.  When  it  has  been  grown  for  a  long 
number  of  years  in  one  locality  its  type  becomes 
fixed,  and  will  only  revert  back,  or  vary  from  the 
type  formed,  when  grown  under  changed  conditions, 
as  slowly  or  in  the  same  length  of  time  as  it  took  to 
establish  it.  But  there  is  a  point  that  should  be  well 
considered,  viz.,  types  will  gradually  change  charac- 
ter in  proportion  to  the  change  there  is  in  soil  and 
climate.  As  an  instance,  if  the  seed  has  been  grown 
for  a  series  of  years  in  a  comparatively  cold  climate, 
where  the  season  of  growth  is  short,  and  then  is 
taken  to  a  warm  climate,  where  there  is  but  little,  if 
any,  winter,  the  type  would  be  lost  with  the  first 
year's  crop  of  seed.  For  that  reason  cabbage  seed 
that  will  reproduce  solid  heads  cannot  be  produced 
in  warm  countries. 

SOILS  AND  SITUATIONS. 

The  question  is  often  asked :  Can  cabbage  be 
successfully  grown  in  all  soils  and  situations?  To 
which  query  we  reply :  Yes,  as  readily  as  any  other 
vegetable,  and  in  most  localities  it  is  a  very  simple 
matter.  But  the  conditions  favorable  do  not  always 
exist,  and  experiment  alone  will  teach  the  important 
lesson.  It  was  supposed,  but  a  few  years  ago,  that 
a  clay  soil  was  not  suited  to  the  cabbage,  and  no 
special  efforts  were  made  to  grow  it  on  such  soils. 
But  now,  in  localities  where  it  was  then  thought 
impossible  to  grow  cabbage  at  all,  it  is  a  profitable 
crop  at  $5.00  per  ton  delivered  to  the  cars.  In  such 
localities,  growers  have  learned  by  experience  that 


26  CABBAGE. 

different  methods  must  be  adopted  from  those  prac- 
ticed in  other  places. 

The  favored  land  for  the  cabbage  is  a  lively 
loam,  with  an  open,  gravelly  subsoil,  and  near  the 
seacoast;  such  situations  were  formerly  sought,  but 
when  such  soil  could  not  be  found  to  the  extent 
required,  other  soils  were  tried,  and  after  a  few 
experiments  just  as  good  success  was  obtained.  In 
light  soils  it  is  better  to  plant  the  early  varieties,  as 
they  mature  more  quickly,  and  a  light  soil  does  not 
like  to  be  slow  in  its  operations.  If  we  wanted  cab- 
bage for  fall  or  winter  use,  and  our  soil  was  of  a 
sandy  character,  we  should  invariably  plant  the  early 
sorts,  but  should  sow  the  seed  at  least  three  weeks 
later  than  we  should  the  late  varieties.  This  is  a 
point  often  overlooked.  Quick-growing  varieties  of 
any  vegetable  are  better  for  light  soils  than  late 
varieties.  Hence  the  importance  of  ascertaining  by 
systematic  experiment,  what  is  best  for  our  soils. 

CONDITIONS    OF    SOIL. 

There  is  one  important  consideration  in  the 
growing  of  all  crops :  How  to  get  the  most  with  the 
least  possible  expense.  The  question  of  soil  being 
an  arbitrary  one,  we  must,  of  necessity,  use  what  we 
have,  and  it  is  not  at  all  times  possible  to  have  it  in 
just  the  condition  we  would  like.  This  is  particu- 
larly true  with  small  farmers,  who  are  obliged  to 
keep  all  their  soil  under  cultivation.  Cabbage  can 
be  grown  more  cheaply,  because,  in  part,  the  crop  is 
more  certain  when  planted  on  new  or  sod  ground. 
For  an  early  crop  this  should  be  plowed  not  later 
than  the  first  of  October — a  month  earlier  would  be 


CABBAGE.  27 

better ;  harrow  thoroughly  as  soon  as  plowed,  in  order 
to  prevent  the  grass  from  growing  in  the  open  spaces 
between  the  furrows,  and  also  to  assist  in  the  rotting 
of  the  sod.  As  early  in  the  spring  as  the  soil  is  in 
proper  condition  to  work,  scatter  broadcast  five  hun- 
dred pounds  of  high  grade  fertilizer,  or  a  liberal 
application  of  well-rotted  manure.  If  the  sod  is 
rotted  as  it  should  be,  it  may  be  cross-plowed  to 
good  advantage,  or  the  fertilizer  may  be  worked  in 
with  a  disc  harrow. 

For  a  late  crop,  plow  the  first  week  in  June,  and 
treat  in  all  respects  as  for  an  early  crop.  Put  on  the  . 
manure  more  liberally  than  for  a  spring  crop,  say 
1,000  pounds  of  fertilizer  to  the  acre,  or  all  the  well- 
rotted  stable  manure  at  command.  There  is  but 
little  danger  of  getting  too  much,  as  the  cabbage  is 
a  gross  feeder.  Let  the  soil  be  worked  well,  for 
strong  as  the  cabbage  may  seem  it  does  not  make  a 
good  growth  in  poorly  prepared  soil. 

Early  plants  may  be  set  as  soon  as  the  soil  is  in 
good  working  order.  Do  not  be  in  haste,  as  wet 
ground  can  only  be  worked  at  a  loss;  do  not  be 
behind,  as  lost  time  is  never  found. 

For  early  cabbage,  we  should  invariably  use 
the  Farly  Wakefield ;  the  seed  of  which  is  best  sown 
about  the  first  of  September,  not  later  than  the  loth. 
Sow  in  drills,  thinly  and  keep  well  worked.  Between 
the  1 5th  and  2Oth  of  November  dig  a  trench  six 
inches  deep  and  a  foot  in  width,  as  long  as  necessary, 
take  up  the  plants  carefully  and  place  them  upright 
in  this  trench,  roots  down,  scattering  a  little  soil 
around  the  roots  as  they  are  put  in;  pack  them 
closely  together,  but  not  so  firm  as  to  bruise  them. 
When  the  trench  is  filled  cover  with  two  boards  in 


28  CABBAGE. 

the  form  of  an  inverted  V  (A)  then  over  this  plow  a 
furrow  from  either  side,  so  that  the  soil  will  be  about 
six  inches  deep  over  the  boards.  It  is  best  to  put  a 
small  wisp  of  straw  upright  between  the  boards, 
reaching  above  the  soil;  this  will  carry  off  all  the 
warm,  moist  air  from  below,  which  is  constantly 
rising,  and  prevent  the  plants  from  rotting,  which 
they  are  apt  to  do  if  they  get  too  warm  in  the 
trenches. 

The  plants  may  be  set  sixteen  inches  apart  in 
rows  thirty  inches  apart — this  would  be  for  a  regular 
farm  crop,  and. the  market  gardener  or  trucker,  adja- 
cent to  a  large  city,  where  manure  can  be  obtained 
without  cost,  except  for  hauling — then  between  each 
plant,  and  between  each  row  lettuce  may  be  set  about 
eight  inches  apart.  This  will  necessitate  hand  culti- 
vation which  is  economical  where  land  is  very  dear, 
The  lettuce  may  be  taken  out  before  the  space  will  be 
required  for  the  cabbage.  Keep  the  plow  or  the  hoe 
going,  not  to  kill  weeds,  but  so.  constantly  that  weeds 
cannot  grow. 

For  a  succession  use  the  Large  Wakefield,  which 
will  come  in  about  a  week,  or  possibly  two  weeks, 
later.  The  seed  of  this  should  be  sown  in  the  same 
way,  at  the  same  time,  and  wintered  over  in  the  same 
way  as  the  Early  Wakefield. 

This  method  of  wintering  plants  is  far  better 
and  much  cheaper  than  to  winter  them  in  cold  frame 
or  greenhouse.  They  come  out  of  the  trench  per- 
fectly healthy  and  start  immediately  into  growth, 
making  heads  fit  for  market  in  forty  days  from  the 
time  of  planting. 

For  a  second  early  crop  we  recommend  "All 
Head,"  it  being  as  early  as  any  we  have  tried,  and 


CABBAGE.  29 

absolutely  sure  to  head.  The  seed  of  this  should  be 
sown  by  the  2Oth  of  February  in  the  greenhouse  or 
hotbed;  sow  the  seed  thinly,  and  do  not  hasten 
growth  too  much ;  let  the  plants  come  on  as  though 
grown  in  the  open  air,  give  them  all  the  air  possible, 
when  the  temperature  will  permit  it,  and  the  plants 
will  be  sufficiently  strong  to  be  put  out  by  the  middle 
of  May,  and  will  come  rapidly  forward. 

It  may  be  asked,  why  not  grow  these  plants 
and  winter  them  over  the  same  as  the  Wakefield. 
If  so,  we  will  say,  we  have  tried  this  plan  repeatedly 
with  the  early  Flat  Dutch  varieties  and  have  never 
been  successful.  They  are  quite  apt  to  run  up  to 
seed  instead  of  making  heads,  and  when  they  do 
head,  the  check  they  get  seems  to  break  them  all  up. 
and  they  grow  into  almost  every  conceivable  shape. 
We  have  wintered  the  late  varieties  with  good 
success,  but  it  is  no  object  to  get  them  in  this  way, 
as  they  are  not  wanted  for  summer  cabbage. 

FALL  AND  WINTER  CABBAGE. 

The  seed  for  these  is  sown  from  the  first  of  June 
to  the  first  of  July.  First  we  use  an  intermediate 
type,  and  for  this  we  prefer  the  Stein's,  which  will 
be  ready  from  seed  sown  June  ist  (and  available  for 
cutting  by  September  ist),  and  we  should  sow  seed 
at  intervals  of  a  week  until  July  ist,  when  we  put  in 
our  latest  variety,  this  latter  largely  for  putting  away 
for  winter. 

Where  sod  ground  cannot  be  had  for  a  late  crop, 
nearly  equally  favorable  conditions  can  be  secured 
by  planting  after  early  potatoes,  providing  there  is 
no  delay  in  getting  the  potatoes  off  (which  can  be 


3O  CABBAGE. 

done  by  the  I5th  of  August),  early  enough  for  late 
cabbage,  if  the  intermediate  strains  are  used;  and 
this  we  should,  by  all  means,  advise — as  they  will 
keep  over  winter  as  well  as  the  later  sorts,  if  not 
allowed  to  get  overripe  before  putting  away.  All 
cabbage  to  keep  well  through  the  winter  should  be 
put  in  trenches  before  the  outer  leaves  begin  to  drop : 
if  put  away  when  the  heads  are  two-thirds  grown 
they  will  perfect  their  growth  during  the  winter. 

Good  cultivation  is  the  secret  of  success  in 
growing  cabbage,  it  matters  not  what  the  variety 
may  be,  whether  an  early  or  late,  large  or  small  crop. 
From  the  time  the  seed  is  sown,  until  the  heads  are 
fully  matured,  constant  attention  will  be  required 
to  secure  a  crop. 

THE  SEED  BED. 

The  first  step  to  be  taken  in  the  production  of 
cabbage  is  to  secure  the  plants,  and  it  is  one  of  the 
greatest  importance,  in  fact,  all-important,  as  good 
cabbage  cannot  be  produced  without  good  plants. 
We  wish  to  impress  on  our  readers  the  importance 
of  having  the  very  best  plants  it  is  possible  to  obtain, 
having  so  frequently  witnessed  the  failure,  or  partial 
failure,  of  crop  due  wholly  to  the  use  of  plants  im- 
properly grown. 

The  seed  bed  should  be  as  far  removed  from 
the  borders  of  the  field  as  possible,  particularly  if 
the  borders  are  hedgerows,  which  are  the  breeding 
places  of  grasshoppers  and  other  insects  injurious 
to  vegetation.  It  should  be  beyond  the  range  of 
farm  poultry,  the  plants'  worst  enemy.  The  char- 
acter of  the  soil  is  second  in  importance  to  conditions 


CABBAGE.  31 

No  matter  whether  it  be  a  heavy  loam,  or  light  sand, 
before  the  seed  is  sown  it  should  be  reduced  to  the 
utmost  possible  fineness.  But  it  should  not  be  made 
rich.  In  such  ground  the  plant  grows  too  quickly, 
and  in  consequence  is  succulent  and  weak,  and  has 
not  the  strength  to  withstand  the  shock  attending 
transplanting.  A  soil  made  rich  for  a  previous  crop 
would  be  the  one  best  suited  for  the  production  of 
plants.  After  the  soil  is  thoroughly  pulverized, 
make  the  surface  firm  and  smooth  by  the  use  of  a 
roller,  or  if  that  is  not  convenient,  firm  it  down 
evenly  and  firmly  with  the  back  of  the  spade. 

Make  drills  six  inches  apart  across  the  bed — 
which  should  not  exceed  four  feet  in  width — with 
the  edge  of  a  board,  which  should  have  the  corners 
taken  off.  Such  a  device  will  make  a  trench  one- 
quarter  of  an  inch  wide  at  the  bottom.  Sow  the 
seed  thinly,  say  from  four  to  six  seeds  to  the  inch. 
Then  wet  the  drills  thoroughly. 

From  the  plants'  first  appearance  in  the  seed 
bed,  they  should  not  receive  the  slightest  check  until 
the  heads  are  perfected.  As  soon  as  the  young  plant 
breaks  through  the  ground,  some  insect  is  ready  for 
attack,  and  will  contest  its  growth,  the  first  being 
the  black  flea,  which  will  destroy  all  the  plants  in  a 
day  if  they  are  not  protected.  The  best  remedy  we 
have  tried  is  tobacco  dust,  which  should  always  be 
in  readiness.  The  first  application  should  be  in  the 
drill  when  the  seed  is  sown.  After  sowing  the  seed, 
cover  it  thinly  with  the  dust,  then,  if  it  can  possibly 
be  obtained,  cover  to  the  depth  of  one-quarter  of  an 
inch  with  fine  white  sand;  this  will  retain  the  mois- 
ture from  below  and  will  not  bake  and  prevent  the 
plants  coming  up.  If  sand  cannot  be  obtained,  cover 


32  CABBAGE. 

with  the  same  soil  as  the  bed ;  in  which  case  the  bed 
should  be  shaded  with  some  light  brush  or  any  con- 
venient cloth  covering.  When  the  seed  leaves  are 
fully  developed,  give  them  a  slight  sprinkling  of 
tobacco  dust,  whether  the  flea  is  in  sight  or  not,  and 
follow  it  up  immediately  after  a  shower,  and  until 
the  plants  have  made  two  or  three  inner  leaves,  or 
are  nearly  large  enough  for  transplanting. 

By  this  method  Letter  plants  will  be  secured 
than  are  usually  obtainable.  But  there  is  a  still  bet- 
ter way,  which  those  practice  who  have  cold  frames, 
or  hotbeds,  in  which  they  start  their  plants.  As  soon 
as  the  plants  have  perfected  their  first  leaves,  which 
will  be  within  forty-eight  hours  after  breaking 
through  the  ground,  they  are  pricked  out  into  beds 
prepared  in  the  same  way  as  recommended  for  the 
seed  bed,  in  drills  one  inch  apart  and  half  an  inch 
apart  in  the  drills.  As  soon  as  these  plants  have 
made  their  second  pair  of  leaves  and  show  plainly 
the  third  pair,  they  are  again  pricked  out,  in  the 
same  manner  as  before,  only  they  are  set  one  inch 
apart  in  the  drills. 

It  is  a  common  and  very  excellent  plan  to  have 
shallow  boxes,  usually  two  and  one-half  inches  in 
depth,  filled  with  fine,  and  a  little  richer,  soil  than 
that  first  used,  and  prick  the  plants  into  these.  These 
boxes  are  then  placed  in  cold  frames  where  they  can 
be  shaded  for  a  day,  and  protected  from  cold,  drying 
winds  when  necessary,  which  is  highly  important  for 
early  crops.  Anyone  who  has  once  adopted  this 
method  will  never  go  back  to  the  old  method  of 
starting  plants.  The  reason  is  obvious.  Plants 
grown  in  this  manner  form  a  solid  mass  of  roots, 
instead  of  one  long  spindling  root,  with  a  few  root- 


CABBAGE.  33 

lets,  and  when  taken  to  the  field  in  these  boxes  they 
can  be  set  quickly  and  without  the  loss  of  a  single 
plant,  or  the  slightest  check  to  their  growth. 

The  average  farmer  or  trucker  is  not  ready  for 
such  a  radical  change  of  methods,  the  objection 
being  the  want  of  time,  as  this  work  must  needs  be 
done  at  a  busy  season.  To  meet  their  objection,  let 
us  say  that  at  the  most  this  method  requires  but  a 
day's  extra  labor  for  an  acre  of  plants  when  set,  and 
much  of  this  can  generally  be  done  under  cover  on 
rainy  days.  But  suppose  it  could  not,  labor  is  not 
lost  wnen  well  applied,  and,  when  plants  are  grown  in 
this  way,  and  carefully  set  in  the  field,  the  plants  will 
perfect  their  growth,  and  the  cabbage  be  ready  for 
the  market  at  least  two  weeks  earlier  than  when 
grown  in  the  usual  manner. 

There  are  several  farmers  on  Long  Island, 
within  ten  miles  of  New  York  city,  who  grow,  annu- 
ally, one  hundred  acres  of  early  cabbage,  cauliflower 
and  other  vegetables,  whose  plants  are  all  grown  in 
this  manner,  and  who  could  not  be  induced  to  grow 
them  in  any  other  way,  on  the  score  of  economy.  By 
this  method  a  second  crop  is  secured,  and  in  some 
cases  a  third.  A  saving  of  two  weeks  in  June  means 
a  crop  of  spinach  in  October,  which  makes  the  third 
in  rotation,  and  which  would  not  be  possible  under 
the  usual  methods. 

PREPARING  THE  SEED  BED  FOR  LATE  PLANTS. 

The  preparation  of  the  seed  bed  for  late  cab- 
bage and  cauliflower  plants  should  be  undertaken  as 
soon  as  the  soil  is  dry  enough  that  it  can  be  worked 
fine.  After  plowing,  use  the  harrow,  and  make  the 


34  CABBAGE. 

soil  fine  to  as  great  a  depth  as  it  has  been  plowed. 
A  day  spent  at  this  work  is  labor  wisely  employed. 
After  the  harrow  has  finished  its  work,  put  on  the 
roller,  making  the  surface  as  smooth  as  the  house 
floor,  then  cover  to  the  depth  of  four  inches  with 
coarse  litter  from  the  stable;  or  seaweed,  if  it  is 
easily  procurable;  or  any  convenient  mulch  that  will 
prevent  evaporation. 

The  benefits  arising  from  this  method  are  many 
fold.  In  the  first  place  the  work  is  done  oh  time  and 
the  bed  will  be  in  readiness  for  the  seed  when 
wanted.  In  the  next  place  the  soil  will  at  air  times 
be  moist  underneath  the  mulch,  so  that  the  seed  can 
be  sown  at  the  proper  time,  ho  matter  how  dry  the 
season  may  "be;  'and  there  will  always  be  moisture 
enough  in  the  soil  to  carry  the  plants  until  they  are 
sufficiently  large  to  transfer  them  to  the  field  where 
the  crop  is  to  be  grown. 

There  is  another  important  consideration  which 
must  not  be  overlooked.  Moisture  is  constantly 
rising  from  belox,v,  and,  when  prevented  from  evapo- 
ration by  the  mulch,  it  must  be  retained,  and  to  as 
great  a  depth  as  the  soil  has  been  worked.  At  the 
same  time  all  the  small  lumps  will  become  so  com- 
pletely pulverized  that  the  soil  will  be  to  the  touch 
as  soft  as  the  finest  sand,  and  fully  charged  with 
sufficient  plant  food. 

Remove  the  mulch  when  the  seed  is  to  be  sown, 
then  proceed  as  we  have  already  stated.  We  would 
again  urge  the  importance  of  covering  the  seed  with 
fine  white  sand  to  prevent  the  soil  from  baking,  as 
well  as  to  prevent  evaporation.  We  have  found  no 
better  covering  for  the  seed  bed  after  sowing  than 


CABBAGE.  35 

the  "excelsior"  so  much  used  for  packing.  If  put 
on  to  the  depth  of  two  inches,  the  plants  will  be  well 
up  within  three  days  from  the  time  of  sowing,  then 
remove  the  mulch  and  keep  the  soil  constantly  stirred 
between  the  rows. 

TRANSPLANTING. 

Having  secured  good  plants,  by  whichever 
method  grown,  the  next  important  step  is  to  transfer 
them  to  the  field  or  garden.  In  reality  this  is  the 
all-important  work,  for  upon  it  depends,  in  a  great 
measure,  success  or  failure.  It  matters  not  how 
good  and  pure  the  strain  of  seed  sown,  or  how  good 
a  start  the  young  plants  have  made,  if  they  are  not 
properly  planted,  total  or  partial  failure  will  be  the 
result.  It  is,  therefore,  important  to  exercise  the 
greatest  possible  care  in  transplanting,  and  it  should 
always  be  done  when  the  conditions  of  growth  are 
the  most  favorable.  We  have  given  this  subject 
very  much  attention,  as  we  must  needs  do  in  grow- 
ing, for  seed  purposes,  more  than  one  hundred  acres 
annually.  Our  experience  has  taught  us  conclusively 
that  the  most  unfavorable  time  for  transplanting  is 
immediately  after  a  heavy  rain,  the  time  usually 
selected  for  the  work ;  while  the  most  favorable  time 
is  just  before  a  heavy  rain.  As  this  cannot  always 
be  determined,  the  safest,  hence  the  most  economical, 
plan  is  to  plant  on  a  cloudy  and  not  very  hot  day, 
and  that  day  the  one  when  the  plants  are  of  sufficient 
size,  which  is  wrhen  they  have  made  three  pairs  of 
leaves.  If  the  seed  has  been  sown  thinly  the  plants 
will  be  about  four  inches  high  and  very  stocky. 

The  ground  in  readiness,  take  up  the  plants 


36  CABBAGE. 

carefully,  so  that  their  delicate  fine  roots  are  not  in 
the  least  broken  or  bruised;  if  the  soil  in  the  seed 
bed  is  quite  dry  all  the  better,  as  it  will  then  fall  away 
from  the  roots  without  injuring  them.  Lay  them 
carefully  in  a  shallow  box  or  basket,  water  them 
thoroughly  and  cover  with  a  piece  of  wet  cloth  to 
prevent  evaporation,  which  the  sun  and  air  would 
rapidly  encourage,  and  if  not  checked  would  soon 
ruin  the  plants.  When  set  they  should  be  puddled  in, 
and  for  a  field  crop  to  do  its  work  profitably,  three 
persons'  aid  is  required.  To  do  a  work  well  is  the 
only  proper  way,  no  matter  what  it  may  be,  even 
•though  at  the  start  it  may  seem  to  be  more  expensive. 
When  the  ground  is  marked  off,  one  person  (a  boy 
would  do  as  well  as  a  man)  goes  ahead,  makes  a  hole 
with  a  dibber  and  drops  the  plant  in  it.  In  this 
work  care  should  be  taken  not  to  make  the  hole  too 
deep.  The  second  person  pours  into  the  hole  one- 
fourth  of  a  pint  of  water,  and  the  third  packs  the 
wet  soil,  or  mud  as  it  should  be,  firmly  around  the 
roots,  then  covers  the  surface  with  loose,  fine  soil  to 
prevent  evaporation. 

We  have  tried  this  method  repeatedly;  in  fact, 
in  late  years,  we  have  employed  no  other,  never 
losing  a  plant,  except  it  be  by  insect  or  accident.  And 
what  is  still  more  important,  the  plants  are  no-wise 
checked,  growth  commences  immediately,  and  suc- 
cess is  assured.  We  would  like  to  impress  upon 
every  cabbage  grower  (and  the  same  method  should 
be  pursued  with  every  other  plant)  the  importance  of 
this  method  sufficiently  to  give  it  a  trial,  and  com- 
pare the  results  with  the  ordinary  method  of  putting 
the  plants  in  with  a  dibber  after  a  rain. 

Cabbage  and  cauliflower,  more  than  any  other 


CABBAGE.  37 

plants,  are  injured  by  a  check  in  transplanting. 
Plants  set  just  before  a  heavy  rain,  in  the  ordinary 
manner,  will  not  receive  a  serious  check  because  the 
earth  becomes  so  thoroughly  packed  about  them  that 
the  air  cannot  reach  those  delicate  feeding  roots 
which  are  essential  to  the  plant's  existence  and 
growth.  The  moment  these  become  injured  in  any 
way  the  plant  ceases  to  grow,- and  cannot  renew  its 
growth  until  new  feeding  roots  are  formed.  The 
plants  set  when  the  ground  is  very  wet  are  apt  to 
receive  injury  from  the  roots  drying  off,  because 
the  farmer  in  his  haste  to  finish  his  work,  while  the 
soil  is  wet,  does  not  take  sufficient  time  to  press  the 
earth  as  firmly  around  the  roots  as  he  should.  By 
puddling  the  plants  this  risk  is  avoided,  and  the 
work  cannot  be  done  without  being  well  done.  If 
there  is  no  fear  of  an  approaching  shower,  undue 
haste  is  not  necessary,  as  this  is  the  enemy  of  sys- 
tematic work. 

The  principal  objection  made  to  puddling  in 
plants  is  the  time  required  to  do  it,  which  at  the 
season  when  the  work  must  be  done  seems  doubly 
valuable.  We  will  quote  one  of  the  many  instances 
that  have  come  under  our  observation  to  show  that 
time  spent  in  puddling  in  plants  is  wise  economy. 
Two  brothers  each  put  out  two  acres  of  cabbage  for 
seed  purposes.  As  their  farms  joined  and  an  inter- 
change of  labor  was  their  custom,  one  of  the  brothers 
prepared  a  seed  bed  sufficient  for  both.  As  the  cab- 
bage was  of  the  same  variety,  and  the  seed  produced 
was  to  go  to  the  same  party,  this  could  be  safely  done. 

When  the  time  arrived  for  putting  out  the 
plants,  and  as  there  was  every  appearance  of  a  heavy 
shower,  the  work  was  commenced  with  vigor.  By 


38  CABBAGE. 

the  time  one  field  was  set  it  rained  so  hard  that  the 
work  had  to  be  suspended.  The  storm  proved  to  be 
of  unusual  severity,  lasting  for  nearly  two  days.  The 
result  was  that  the  rain  packed  the  soil  more  firmly 
around  the  plants  than  it  was  in  the  original  seed 
bed,  and  there  was  not  the  slightest  appearance  of 
wilting. 

After  the  storm  was  over,  the  second  two  acres, 
which  were  directly  opposite,  having  soil  of  precisely 
the  same  character,  and  prepared  in  the  same  way, 
were  planted.  The  ground  was  as  wet  as  it  could 
possibly  be  and  the  plants  were  put  in  with  the 
dibber  in  the  usual  way.  A  severe  drouth  with  high 
drying  winds  followed  the  setting  of  the  plants,  and, 
as  the  soil  had  only  been  pressed  against  the  roots, 
not  firmly  packed  around  them,  the  new  feeding  roots 
in  many  instances  could  not  take  hold  of  the  earth, 
consequently  they  could  not  convey  food  to  the  plant. 
What  was  the  result  ?  The  field  that  was  first  set  had 
a  crop  that  wras  as  good  as  it  was  possible  to  grow — 
in  fact,  it  was  absolutely  perfect.  The  second  piece, 
because  of  the  check  the  plants  had  received,  was  a 
total  failure.  This  check  gave  them  sufficient  rest 
to  start  into  seed  growth,  but  as  they  were  not  large 
enough  for  that  they  made  an  abnormal  growth,  and 
the  field  presented  nearly  every  type  to  be  found  in 
the  cabbage  tribe.  The  party  for  whom  the  seed 
was  grown  was,  of  course,  disappointed,  but  not 
astonished,  as  it  was  his  second  experience  of  the 
same  character. 

DISTANCE  APART. 

How  close  should  cabbages  be  planted?  is  a 
question  often  asked,  even  by  those  who  grow  them 


CABBAGE.  39 

largely.  This  is  not  strange  when  we  consider  that 
there  is  a  great  difference  of  opinion  among  growers 
on  this  point,  a  difference  that  comes  from  the  dif- 
ferent methods  of  farming.  One  farmer  will  grow 
7,000  heads  to  the  acre,  his  neighbor  will  grow 
1 1,000  of  the  same  and  get  just  as  good,  if  not  better 
cabbage.  This  marked  difference  seems  strange — 
it  is  strange — but  it  is  easily  accounted  for.  In  the 
one  case  the  plants  are  set  sufficiently  far  apart  for 
the  cultivator  to  do  all  the  work  required;  in  the 
other  case  they  are  set  so  that  the  cultivator  and  hoe 
both  are  used,  in  working  the  ground.  More  than 
this,  the  number  of  heads  that  can  be  cut  from  an 
acre  depends  largely  upon  the  fertility  of  the  soil. 
It  costs  more  to  feed  10,000  than  it  does  5,000,  no 
matter  what  it  is  we  feed,  whether  it  be  plant  or 
animal. 

Under  a  system  of  intensive  farming,  which 
gives  the  plants  all  the  food  they  can  possibly  assimi- 
late, and  permits  no  barren  waste  between  the  rows, 
and  where  all  the  cultivation  is  done  by  hand  and 
with  a  narrow  hoe,  the  crop  per  acre  will  be  more 
than  three  times  as  large  as  where  the  land  is  worked 
in  the  ordinary  way.  This  may  be  seen  by  the  way 
the  systematic  trucker  does  his  \vork.  For  example, 
we  will  take  the  Early  Jersey  Wakefield  variety ;  this 
is  set  in  rows  thirty  inches  apart  and  the  plants  one 
foot  apart  in  the  row,  which  gives  17,424  to  the 
acre,  and  if  the  seed  is  a  carefully  selected  strain, 
such  as  the  market  gardener  seeks  to  obtain,  and  the 
plants  are.  set  under  favorable  conditions,  there 
should  be  sold  from  the  acre  17,000  heads,  which  is 
a  much  higher  percentage  than  can  be  had  when 
gro\vn  by  the  ordinary  method. 


4O  CABBAGE. 

To  give  a  clearer  idea  of  the  amount  to  be 
obtained  from  an  acre,  and  why  there  is  such  a  large 
percentage  of  heads,  we  must  give  some  of  the  details 
of  cultivation,  which  will  also  show  the  soil's  capa- 
bilities of  production.  Between  the  two  rows  of 
cabbage  plants,  and  alternating  with  the  cabbage  in 
the  rows,  lettuce  plants  are  set,  which  gives  about 
35,000  heads  of  lettuce  to  the  acre.  This  makes  the 
rows  of  plants  one  foot  apart,  which  seems  to  require 
considerable  from  the  soil.  But  the  gardener  is  still 
unsatisfied,  because  experience  has  taught  him  that 
the  soil  will  honor  every  reasonable  demand  made 
upon  it,  providing  the  plants  have  sufficient  room 
for  development.  He,  therefore,  sows  a  row  of 
radishes  between  the  rows  of  lettuce  and  the  rows  of 
cabbage  and  lettuce.  Now  the  plants  are  but  six 
inches  apart,  which  is  about  all  he  can  or  does  expect ; 
he  is  satisfied,  so  is  the  soil,  for  it  has  all  it  can  do 
without  growing  weeds. 

There  is  a  great  benefit  to  be  derived  from  this 
method  besides  the  amount  obtained  from  a  given 
acreage;  the  soil  is  at  all  times  just  sufficiently 
shaded  to  prevent  evaporation  through  the  sun's 
influence,  and  the  soil  is  kept  cool  and  moist,  which 
are  the  requirements  for  tender  vegetables.  The 
moisture  that  comes  from  below  is  caught  up  by  the 
plants,  and  it  cannot  well  escape.  When  this  method 
is  adopted  the  seeds  must  be  sown  thinly,  or  the 
plants  thinned  out  to  the  proper  distance  apart  before 
they  have  formed  their  second  pairs  of  leaves.  The 
radishes  should  be  thinned  to  about  four  to  an  inch. 
In  three  weeks  these  will  be  ready  for  use,  and  not  a 
moment  is  lost  in  getting  them  to  market.  The 
lettuce  then  begins  to  require  the  room  the  radishes 


CABBAGE.  41 

occupied,  its  roots  have  gone  deep  down,  and  the 
heads  are  forming.  Another  week,  they  begin  to 
give  way  to  the  increasing  forms  of  the  cabbage,  and 
they  in  turn  are  marketed.  This  leaves  the  cabbage 
the  sole  occupant  of  the  soil,  and  it  requires  it,  as  the 
heads  begin  to  form  and  the  outer  leaves  are  expand- 
ing to  give  the  head  the  room  it  needs,  no  less 
than  to  shade  the  soil  and  protect  it  from  the 
sun's  burning  rays,  than  which  there  is  nothing 
more  injurious. 

It  can  be  readily  understood  that  when  such 
demands  are  made  upon  the  soil,  it  will,  in  turn, 
demand  sufficient  nourishment  to  produce  such 
results.  But  the  food  it  gets  is  but  one  of  its  require* 
ments.  It  asks  to  have  its  surface  kept  clean  and 
fine,  in  order  that  weeds  cannot  grow.  The  plants, 
too,  assert  their  rights,  and  say  if  we  are  expected  to 
produce  large  heads  we  must  not  have  our  roots  dis- 
turbed, upon  them  we  depend,  almost  wholly,  for 
support.  The  gardener  responds,  and  from  the  time 
the  cabbage  and  lettuce  plants  are  set,  and  the  young 
radishes  appear,  no  implement  is  used,  other  than  a 
small  hoe,  about  four  inches  in  width.  By  the 
middle  of  June  the  cabbages  are  marketed,  the  soil  is 
again  enriched,  and  another  crop  comes  on  in  strict 
order  of  rotation. 

PLANTING  THE  SEED   WHERE  THE   CABBAGE  IS  TO 
GROW. 

It  is  a  common  practice  with  New  England 
farmers  to  sow  the  seed  with  a  drill,  and  where  the 
plants  are  to  grow,  a  plan  we  highly  recommend, 
having  tried  it  many  times  with  the  best  possible 
success.  Last  year  several  of  our  truckers  lost  a  large 


42  CABBAGE. 

portion  of  their  plants  by  drouth  and  cutworms,  and 
as  they  could  not  replace  them,  they  resorted  to  this 
method,  which  proved  so  satisfactory  that  they  will 
hereafter  put  out  all  their  late  cabbage  in  this  way. 
We  will  state  one  instance:  A  neighbor  was 
"short  of  plants,  having  only  .sufficient  to  set  three- 
fourths  of  his  field.  He  used  the  drill  for  the 
remainder,  sowing  the  seed  the  same  day  he  set  his 
plants.  The  seed  drilled  in  came  up  quickly,  the 
plants  grew  rapidly,  not  having  any  check,  and  ma- 
tured their  heads  several  days  in  advance  of  those 
from  the  transplanted  plants.  So  much  more  vig- 
orous were  they  that  this  part  of  the  field  appeared 
like  a  more  vigorous  variety. 

Had  the  plants  set  out  been  pricked  out  once  or 
twice  before  planting  in  the  field  the  result  might 
have  been  different,  as  such  plants,  when  properly 
set  where  they  are  to  remain,  are  not  apt  to  receive 
a  check.  It  is,  however,  a  quicker  and  easier  plan 
to  sow  the  seed  where  the  plants  are  to  remain.  It 
is  not  only  more  expeditious,  but  the  work  can,  and 
should,  always  be  done  on  a  pleasant  day,  while  the 
plants  must  be  set  on  a  wet  day,  or,  as  is  usually  the 
case,  immediately  after  a  heavy  rain,  while  the 
ground  is  wet,  and  the  work  the  most  disagreeable 
the  farmer  has  to  do. 

Any  seed  drill  may  be  used  for  this  purpose  by 
stopping  up  most  of  the  holes  in  the  wheel,  so  that 
the  seeds  will  drop  as  far  apart  as  the  plants  should 
stand.  This  will  leave  but  little  thinning  out  to  do, 
as  there  wrill  not  be  more  than  two  or  three  seeds 
dropped  in  a  place.  In  thinning,  if  any  of  the  plants 
show  remarkable  vigor,  they  should  be  the  ones  to 
be  thrown  away,  and  leave  such  only  as  have  fine 


CABBAGE.  43 

mid-ribs,  the  leaves  smooth,  indicating  health  with- 
out grossness.  A  very  rank  plant — one  that  is  in 
advance  of  the  others — is  usually  in  the  line  of 
deterioration. 

If,  at  the  time  of  sowing,  the  ground  is  dry,  it 
should  he  thoroughly  rolled  and  made  as  fine  as  pos- 
sible. After  sowing  go  over  the  rows  with  a  roller 
to  press  the  earth  firmly  around  the  seeds.  If  a  roller 
is  not  at  hand,  go  over  the  ground  with  the  feet, 
which  is  the  better,  because  the  most  convenient, 
plan  for  all  small  sowings.  It  is  always  better  to  sow 
the  seed  when  the  ground  is  dry,  because  it  will  pack 
too  hard  if  rolled  or  tread  when  wet.  The  safest 
way  for  the  cabbage  grower  is  to  have  a  seed  bed 
ready  in  either  case,  so  that  plants  can  be  had,  if 
required,  in  case  of  accident  to  those  sown  in  drills. 
Sometimes  drouth  or  insect  enemies  will  destroy  the 
one  and  not  the  other. 

Where  the  seed  is  sown  in  the  rows  where  the 
plants  are  to  remain,  all  manures  must  be  thoroughly 
and  evenly  incorporated  in  the  soil.  We  do  not 
advocate  putting  the  manure  in  the  drill,  whether  it 
be  from  the  stable,  or  in  commercial  form.  On  the 
contrary,  put  on  broadcast  and  have  it  worked  in 
deep.  The  plants  will  be  sure  to  find  it,  and  it  is  a 
much  better  plan  to  let  the  roots  extend  in  all  direc- 
tions than  to  have  the  plant  food  all  in  one  narrow 
drill.  The  cabbage,  more  than  most  other  vege- 
tables, requires  to  have  its  roots  extend  in  all 
directions  for  the  support  of  the  plant,  and,  when 
a  moderate  supply  of  plant  food  is  found  in  all 
the  directions  the  roots  follow,  and  a  double 
purpose  is  accomplished,  the  plant  increases  in 
size -and  strength. 


44  CABBAGE. 

HOW   MUCH  SEED  PER  ACRE? 

This  is  rather  a  difficult  question  to  answer,  and 
for  many  reasons.  Some  seed,  or  rather  the  seeds  of 
some  varieties,  are  much  larger  than  others,  as,  for 
instance,  the  seed  of  the  Wakefield  is  nearly  double 
the  size  of  that  of  some  of  the  Flat  Dutch  varieties. 
Then  some  seed  has  a  higher  power  of  germination 
than  others.  Again,  much  depends  upon  how  the 
seed  is  sown.  If  sown  very  thickly,  as  is  most  gen- 
erally the  case,  the  strong  plants  will  crowd  out  the 
weak  ones,  even  when  very  young. 

Of  most  varieties  there  are  about  10,000 
seeds  in  an  ounce,  but,  as  seeds  are  usually  sown, 
3,000  plants  is  all  that  can  be  expected  from 
an  ounce  of  seed.  But  if  the  seed  was  sown  thinly, 
and  the  plants  were  well  cared  for,  and  in  soil  prop- 
erly prepared,  5,000  plants  could  easily  be  gotten 
from  an  ounce  of  seed.  When  sown  with  a  seed 
drill,  and  the  plants  are  to  remain  where  the  seed  is 
sown,  much  thinning  will  be  necessary,  so  that  eight 
ounces  per  acre  will  be  required. 

ROTATION  OF  CROPS. 

How  often  can  we  return  to  the  same  field  with 
a  crop  of  cabbage?  is  a  pertinent  question,  and  one 
frequently  asked.  This  depends  largely  upon  cir- 
cumstances. The  character  of  the  soil,  as  regards 
recuperative  strength,  will  have  much  influence  in 
this  respect;  but  the  character  of  the  rotation,  and 
how  fertility  is  kept  up,  exert  quite  as  great  an  influ- 
ence. It  is  generally  supposed  that  if  we  grow  cab- 
bage more  frequently  than  once  in  three  years  it  will 


CABBAGE.  45 

club-root.  This  may,  or  may  not,  be  the  case,  but 
observation  teaches  us  that  club-root  will  appear  in 
parts  of  fields  where  there  has  not  been  cabbage  in 
twenty  years.  We  saw  a  case  of  this  kind  last  sea- 
son, where  a  farmer  had  a  field  of  several  acres,  one 
side  of  which  was  lower  than  the  main  part  of  the 
field;  on  this  side  the  whole  crop  club-rooted,  not  a 
head  escaped.  He  said  there  had  not  been  a  crop  of 
cabbage  grown  on  any  part  of  that  field  in  more  than 
twenty  years. 

Yet  many  market  gardeners,  near  New  York, 
have  cabbage  on  the  same  field  fully  half  of  the  time, 
and  some  of  the  more  experienced  say  that  if  lime 
is  used  freely  it  could  be  grown  every  year  on  the 
same  ground,  while  others  say  they  must  give  up 
growing  cabbage,  as  their  land  will  no  longer 
produce  it. 

We  are  of  the  opinion  that  one  crop,  when  well 
grown,  not  only  perfects  itself,  but  at  the  same  time 
prepares  the  soil  for  some  other  crop.  In  other 
words,  where  early  potatoes  are  followed  by  a  crop 
of  late  cabbage,  the  same  rotation  can  be  kept  up  for 
a  succession  of  years  with  impunity,  bearing  in  mind 
the  importance  of  soil  fertility.  The  cabbage  is  a 
gross  feeder,  and  the  potato  equally  so,  it  therefore 
follows  that  the  two  crops  must  annually  take  from 
the  soil  a  vast  amount  of  plant  food.  A  good  crop 
of  each  takes  from  the  land  fully  thirty  tons  of  stable 
manure.  No  two  species  of  plants  have  identically 
the  same  wants,  or  possess  the  same  powers  of  sup- 
plying them  from  the  soil.  From  the  one  crop  there 
is  always  something  left  for  the  other.  Rotation  of 
crops,  with  a  liberal  amount  of  well-assorted  plant 
food,  is  the  secret  of  agricultural  success. 


46  CABBAGE. 

THE  VALUE  OF  LIME. 

In  cabbage  and  cauliflower  cultivation,  lime  is 
indispensable.  One  of  the  largest  growers  in  this 
country  attributes  his  success  to  the  use  of  lime.  He 
grows  annually  sixty  acres  of  cauliflower  and  nearly 
as  much  of  early  cabbage.  When  he  sets  his  plants, 
he  puts  a  handful  of  shell  lime  around  each  plant, 
and  he  never  has  club-root  or  stem-rot.  The 
lime  touches  the  plant  and  covers  the  ground  in  a 
circle  of  about  four  inches  in  diameter,  and  it  remains 
on  the  surface  until  after  the  first  hoeing,  when  it  is 
lightly  covered. 

CULTIVATION. 

As  soon  as  the  plants  are  established  the  culti- 
vator should  be  set  at  work  in  the  field,  and  the  hoe 
in  the  garden ;  not  only  should  they  be  set  at  work, 
but  kept  at  work,  as  steady,  persistent  labor  in  culti- 
vation is  the  price  of  the  crop.  The  soil  should  be 
worked  deep  before  the  plants  are  set,  but  shallow 
cultivation  afterward  is  all  that  is  required;  in  fact, 
more  cabbage  is  injured  by  disturbing  the  roots  with 
the  small  plow  than  is  generally  supposed.  Keep  the 
surface  soil  at  all  times  fine  and  light,  which  will  pre- 
vent evaporation,  at  the  same  time  keep  down  all 
weeds,  and  the  secret  of  successful  cultivation  is 
discovered. 

In  many  of  our  best  cabbage-growing  districts, 
the  small  plow,  that  was  formerly  considered  indis- 
pensable, has  long  since  been  discarded,  and  the 
wheel  cultivator  is  no  longer  doing  its  deep  work. 
The  truckers  or  market  gardeners,  who  have  small 


CABBAGE.  47 

farms  have  never  had  need  of  these,  as  the  plants  are 
set  so  closely  that  the  horse  and  cultivator  could  not 
go  between  the  rows. 

QUALITY    OF    CABBAGE    CHANGED    BY    CULTIVATION. 

There  is  no  vegetable  so  changed  in  its  essential 
character  by  cultivation  as  the  cabbage.  To  be  ten- 
der and  sweet  it  must  grow  quickly;  to  grow  it 
quickly,  the  plants  must  be  healthy  when  set;  the 
soil  must  be  properly  prepared,  and  all  the  conditions 
of  rapid  growth  strictly  observed.  If  grown  slowly 
the  inner  leaves  will  be  tough,  and  of  strong  flavor, 
which  renders  them  entirely  unfit  for  salads,  and  by 
no  means  so  delicate  when  cooked.  The  cabbage 
grown  in  Europe  when  brought  here  takes  double 
the  time  to  cook  that  ours  does,  and  the  flavor  is 
strong  and  unpleasant.  There  is  another  important 
point  often  overlooked :  Cabbage  is  never  as  good  as 
the  moment  it  is  cut  in  the  garden ;  wilting  toughens 
it,  its  fibers  grow  hard  and  no  amount  of  cooking 
will  restore  its  natural  tenderness. 

In  the  garden  a  succession  of  planting  is  as  nec- 
essary for  cabbage  as  for  any  other  vegetable.  The 
moment  a  head  reaches  perfecton  it  begins  to  dete- 
riorate, hence  the  necessity  of  a  succession  in  order 
to  have  it  all  times  in  the  best  possible  condition. 

For  winter  use  we  prefer  the  putting  away  of 
heads  not  quite  fully  grown,  such  will  complete  their 
growth  in  the  trench  during  wjnter,  and  they 
will  be  more  tender  and  delicate  than  those  fully 
matured  in  field  or  garden.  All  vegetables  are  more 
delicious  when  young,  from  the  fact  that  the  fiber 
which  affords  the  plant  strength  to  produce  a  seed 


48  CABBAGE. 

crop  is  not  yet  formed.  This  fiber  is  not  only  tough, 
hard  of  digestion,  but  in  some  plants  actually 
injurious  when  used  as  a  vegetable.  Many  persons 
can  eat  cabbage  when  taken  fresh  from  the  garden, 
young  and  tender,  but  cannot  eat  it  after  it  is  fully 
matured,  and  has  been  stored  for  a  short  time  even, 
as  it  is  then  not  only  tasteless  but  indigestible. 

TO  KEEP  CABBAGE  THROUGH  THE  WINTER. 

This  is  a  simple  matter,  although  there  is  quite 
a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  best  methods.  The 
market  gardeners  near  New  York  plow  a  single  fur- 
row from  six  to  eight  inches  deep  in  which  they  place 
the  cabbage,  heads  down,  as  closely  as  they  can  be 
set;  they  then  turn  a  furrow  over  the  heads  from 
each  side.  This  is  all  the  attention  that  is  required, 
as  they  will  be  covered  to  the  depth  of  a  foot,  which 
is  quite  sufficient  to  keep  out  all  the  frost  we  are 
liable  to  have  before  the  heads  are  marketed,  which 
is  usually  by  the  first  of  February.  The  heads  put 
in  these  trenches  are  always  fully  developed,  as  they 
need  to  make  no  growth  during  winter  when  put 
away  in  this  manner. 

There  is  a  better  and  more  simple  plan  than  this, 
where  it  can  be  adopted.  Where  cabbage  is  grown 
for  shipping  in  large  quantities,  the  farmers  keep  it 
in  their  orchards,  or  in  groves,  where  there  is  slight 
natural  protection.  It  is  best  to  commence  against 
a  fence  with  a  southern  or  eastern  exposure.  The 
fence  is  made  tight  by  a  liberal  use  of  straw,  or 
stalks,  or  both ;  against  this  are  set  the  cabbages  as 
grown  in  the  field,  upright,  but  with  a  little  slant, 
and  placed  closely  together.  When  a  row  of  the 


CABBAGE.  49 

required  length  is  placed,  another  row  is  placed  above 
them,  the  stems  being  arranged  between  the 
heads  of  the  first  tier,  so  that  the  heads 
of  the  second  tier  rest  upon  the  tops  of  the 
first.  Then  another  tier  is  added  in  the  same 
manner.  In  this  way  the  operation  is  continued 
until  the  crop  is  put  away,  when  the  whole 
is  covered  with  newly- fallen  leaves  to  the  depth  of 
three  inches.  The  leaves  are  kept  in  place  by  sprink- 
ling a  little  soil  over  them,  or  with  brush,  boards  or 
old  rails,  in  short  by  whatever  is  most  convenient. 
Wherever  salt  or  marsh  hay  or  seaweed  can  be 
obtained  they  can  be  used  to  advantage  in  place  of 
the  leaves.  Where  cabbage  is  grown  on  a  large 
scale  there  is  no  way  yet  found  more  economical,  or 
one  that  will  better  protect  the  cabbage  from  loss, 
or  keep  it  in  better  condition  for  eating  as  well  as 
shipping. 

Those  who  follow  this  plan  usually  select  the 
smaller  or  not  fully-developed  heads,  to  be  the  first 
put  away,  as  they  will  continue  growing  during  the 
winter,  so  that  heads  not  fit  for  market  in  November 
will  sell  readily  in  February. 

The  time  for  putting  away  cabbage  for  winter 
shipment  is  a  local  matter,  depending  wholly  upon 
climatic  conditions.  There  is  but  one  rule  to  govern 
this  matter,  and  that  is  applicable  to  all  situations, 
viz. :  Cabbage  should  never  be  put  away  when  wet, 
or  handled  when  frozen.  It  is  better  to  leave  it  in 
the  field  as  long  as  possible,  but  far  better  to  take  up 
a  week  too  early  than  a  week  too  late.  Select  a  day 
best  suited  for  the  wrork,  and  leave  the  covering  with 
leaves  as  long  as  possible.  Cabbages  will  almost 
invariably  rot  if  bruised  when  frozen. 


5O  CABBAGE. 

Should  a  field  of  cabbage  not  perfect  its  growth, 
that  is,  not  make  marketable  heads  before  it  is  time 
to  put  away  for  winter's  sales,  we  should  advise  a 
different  way  of  keeping  them  through  the  winter, 
which  is  the  same  plan  we  adopt  for  putting  them 
away  for  seed  purposes;  a  plan  that  will  secure  a 
crop  that  the  grower  would  only  consider  valuable 
for  stock  feeding.  Plow  out  a  double  furrow,  going- 
forward  and  back  in  the  same  place.  This  will 
make  a  track  sufficiently  wide  for  three  rows,  one 
on  each  side  and  one  in  the  center,  the  latter  resting 
on  the  other  two,  the  heads  sinking  about  one-half 
their  depth  between  the  former.  They  should  be 
placed  roots  down,  and  at  the  angle  a  head  would 
naturally  lie  when  pulled  up  and  laid  upon  its  side. 
The  heads  should  be  taken  up  after  a  frost,  as  is  best 
in  case  of  putting  them  away  when  fully  grown,  but 
never  badly  frozen.  As  fast  as  the  heads  are  placed 
in  the  trench,  cover  the  roots  with  earth  and  pack 
firmly  over  them. 

After  the  heads  are  intrenched,  leave  them  ex- 
posed as  long  as  they  are  safe  from  freezing,  then 
cover  to  the  depth  of  three  inches  with  soil  without 
straw  or  any  other  protection.  This  is  best  done  by 
running  the  plow  on  each  side  of  the  row  and 
throwing  the  furrow  over  them.  This  will  be  suffi- 
cient until  appearances  indicate  that  winter  is  to  set 
in  in  earnest,  then  cover  with  at  least  a  foot  of  earth 
and  leave  them  for  the  winter.  It  is  best  to  have 
breaks  in  the  trenches  as  often  as  once  in  forty  feet, 
and  in  the  center  of  each  it  is  advisable  to  put  in  a 
wisp  of  straw  for  ventilation,  in  case  of  a  mild  win- 
ter. After  the  covering  of  soil  is  hard  frozen,  say  to 
the  depth  of  three  inches,  the  trench  should  be  cov- 


CABBAGE.  Sf 

ered  with  stalks,  leaves,  or  whatever  material  is  most 
convenient,  to  prevent  further  freezing,  so  that  the 
heads  can  be  taken  out  as  required.  It  is  not  good 
economy  to  lay  aside  as  worthless  a  lot  of  cabbages 
because  they  are  small.  If  put  away  as  recom- 
mended, they  will  make  fine  heads  before  spring, 
when  they  will  be  worth  more  than  they  would  have 
been  had  they  perfected  their  growth  in  November. 

CABBAGE  FOR  FAMILY  USE. 

This  should  be  put  away  in  the  same  manner 
as  that  for  market,  only  that  the  heads  put  in  the 
trench  first,  and  which  will  be  the  last  to  be  taken 
out,  should  have  their  heads  but  perfectly  formed, 
just  large  enough  to  show  that  the  possibilities  for 
a  head  are  there.  These  should  be  followed  by  more 
matured  heads,  and  the  last  put  in  should  be  fully 
developed.  Where  poultry  is  kept  there  should  be 
sufficient  put  away  in  the  same  trenches  to  give  them 
an  occasional  meal. 

TYPES  AND  VARIETIES. 

As  already  stated,  there  are  five  distinct  groups 
of  cabbage  in  cultivation.  In  some  of  these  there 
are  variety  names,  almost  innumerable.  Some  are 
descriptive,  as,  for  instance,  for  earliness,  lateness, 
as  may  seem  desirable ;  others  for  general  adaptation, 
as  "All  Seasons,"  "Succession,"  or  "Surehead." 
Others  have  a  local  application,  "Louisville  Drum- 
head," "Bridgeport  Drumhead,"  or  "Long  Island 
Beauty."  On  Long  Island  there  are  numerous  local 
names  for  the  various  strains  which  are  rarely  known 


52  CABBAGE. 

under  the  grower's  name  beyond  the  immediate 
locality  where  the  selection  of  a  given  type  was  made, 
and  which  bears  the  grower's  name. 

The  growers  of  many  of  these  strains  which 
have  a  local  reputation  were  painstaking  men;  they 
were  also  men  of  keen  discrimination.  They  could 
detect  slight  variations  in  habit  of  growth,  as  regards 
size  and  solidity  of  head,  vigor  of  constitution,  which 
would  make  it  valuable  for  its  keeping  qualities,  or 
for  a  tendency  to  produce  large  heads  with  but  few 
outer  leaves.  All  of  these  characteristics  were  of 
importance  to  those  who  grew  cabbage  on  a  large 
scale  for  market  purposes.  These  men  became 
famous,  in  their  respective  localities,  as  seed  growers, 
and  annually  saved  and  sold  at  an  enormous  price 
large  quantities  of  seed.  There  are  many  instances 
where  men  made  more  money  from  the  product  of 
one-quarter  of  an  acre  of  cabbage,  grown  for  seed, 
than  from  all  the  products  of  a  hundred-acre  farm, 
because  of  the  high  price  they  obtained  for  their  seed. 

Among  the  number  was  a  Mr.  Vanderga-.v, 
whose  selection  was  generally  known  as  the  Vander- 
gaw cabbage.  This  particular  type  was  never  known 
to  the  trade  until  the  writer  obtained  a  stock  to  grow 
for  seed  purposes,  for  the  trade.  Its  usefulness  as  a 
variety  for  early,  intermediate  and  late  planting  was 
soon  recognized,  and  James  J.  H.  Gregory  imme- 
diately secured  the  whole  stock,  which  he  sent  out 
as  a  novelty,  under  the  name  of  "All  Seasons."  The 
following  year  W.  Atlee  Burpee  procured  seeds  from 
Mr.  Vandergaw,  without  the  slightest  idea  that  it 
was  the  parent  of  the  "All  Seasons,"  and  grew  a 
stock  of  seed,  which  he  sent  out  as  a  "novelty"  under 
the  name  of  "The  Vandergaw." 


CABBAGE.  53 

A  Mr.  Strang,  whose  farm  is  particularly  noted 
for  the  growing  of  early  crops,  has  developed  a  strain 
of  the  Flat  Dutch  cabbage  that  excels  for  earliness, 
uniformity  in  size,  freedom  from  superfluous  leaves, 
tenderness,  and,  in  fact,  all  the  good  qualities  sought 
in  a  variety  together  with  a  sureness  of  heading  that 
has  made  this  one  of  the  most  popular  varieties  under 
cultivation.  Whether  this  success  is  due  m  to  soil 
and  location,  or  to  the  infinitely  greater  care  and 
attention  he  paid  to  the  growing  of  his  crops 
than  the  average  farmer  gives  we  are  not  prepared 
to  say. 

This  variety  was  introduced  to  the  trade  under 
the  name  of  "All  Head,"  which  is  truly  significant. 
So  valuable  is  this  strain  for  commercial  purposes 
that  a  large  number  of  dealers  have  sent  it  out  as  a 
specialty  bearing  their  name  with  a  special  prefix. 

Other  strains  have  been  given  names  of  local 
significance.  It  is  a  fact  known  to  all  interested  in 
vegetable  forms  that  where  any  class  can  be  well 
grown,  that  is,  where  it  shows  a  tendency  to  improve 
with  good  cultivation,  that  these  selections  can,  and 
should  be,  made  for  that  locality.  There  the  plant 
will  adapt  itself  to  the  conditions  of  soil  and  climate, 
and  develop  types  superior  to  any  that  can  be  pro- 
duced elsewhere.  This  principle  holds  good  with 
all  seeds;  and  the  seedsman,  without  regard  to  the 
name  given  to  his  various  types  or  varieties,  always 
secures  his  stocks  from  localities  where  the  plants 
can  be  grown  to  the  greatest  perfection. 

We  have  written  this  much  to  give  some  insight 
into  nomenclature  and  to  show  the  origin  of  the  vast 
number  of  variety  names  given  to  strains,  or  so-called 
varieties,  not  at  all  dissimilar. 


54  CABBAGE. 

WAKEFIELD  AND  WINNINGSTADT  GROUP. 

This  group  includes  cabbages  with  pointed 
heads,  of  which  there  are  numerous  varieties,  but 
few  of  the  same  are  in  cultivation  for  market  cab- 
bages in  this  country,  and  to  these  only  shall  we  give 
special  mention,  as  they  are  the  only  ones  the  Ameri- 
can gardener  is  interested  in. 

The  Jersey  Wakefield. — This  variety  was  intro- 
duced from  England  about  forty  years  ago,  but  of 
its  history  or  original  name  we  have  no  knowledge. 
From  the  date  of  its  introduction  it  has  been  a  popu- 


Fig.   i — Early  Jersey  Wakefield. 

lar  sort,  and  deservedly  so,  for  in  point  of  usefulness 
it  has  no  superior.  In  our  climate  it  has  improved 
in  size  and  earliness,  the  consequence  of  being  grown 
on  different  soils,  as  previously  mentioned. 

We  do  not  know  of  any  cabbage  that  is  so 
peculiar  in  its  likes  and  dislikes  as  the  Wakefield, 


CABBAGE. 


55 


neither  one  so  liable  to  variation' when  the  conditions 
of  soil  are  uncongenial.  We  say  conditions  of  soil, 
because  we  cannot  attribute  the  marked  changes  we 
have  noticed  in  the  type,  when  grown  in  close  prox- 
imity, to  any  other  cause.  We  have  found  within  a 
radius  of  one-fourth  of  a  mile  from  a  given  point  on 
Long  Island,  that  from  the  same  seed,  and  under  the 
same  cultivation,  there  is  a  marked  difference  in  the 


Fig.  2 — Charleston  Wakefield. 

type,  in  almost  every  respect.  Here  plants  are  uni- 
form as  to  size  as  well  as  in  color  and  substance  of 
leaf.  The  plants  seem  to  grow  to  perfection  from 
choice,  while  those  grown  but  a  mile  distant  are 
irregular,  the  leaves  are  crumpled  and  twisted, 
and  the  heads  coarse  and  unshapely.  We  are  now 


56  CABBAGE. 

speaking  of  the  regular  type,  but  have  seen  as  marked 
a  difference  in  an  extra  early  type  which  makes  a 
smaller  head.  This  in  a  given  locality  makes  a 
more  uniform  head  and  more  regularly  pointed, 
than  when  grown  but  a.  short  distance  in  other 
directions. 

There  seems  something  inherent  in  this  kind 
of  cabbage  to  cause  it  to  sport,  but  mainly  in  the 
shape  of  head,  some  heads  being  nearly  as  round 
as  the  Early  York,  while  the  type  should  be  pointed. 
Most  of  the  strains  grown  show  a  marked  tendency 
toward  round  or  oblong  heads.  The  distinctive 
strains  of  the  Wakefield  cabbage  are:  The  "Early 
Jersey  Wakefield"  (Fig.  i),  and  the  "Late  or 
Charleston  Wakefield"  (Fig.  2). 

The  character  of  these  is  now  pretty  well  de- 
fined, and,  as  they  are  grown  on  Long  Island  there 
is  about  ten  days'  difference,  in  their  period  of 
growth.  The  size  of  the  Charleston  Wakefield  is 
proportionate  to  the  time  it  has  to  grow,  as  six 
pounds  of  any  vegetable  requires  a  longer  time  to 
grow  than  four  pounds.  In  this  group  may  be 
placed  the  "Long  Island  Beauty."  This  is  a  selection 
from  the  round-headed  Wakefield  and  grown  on  the 
heaviest  soil  of  Long  Island.  It  has  all  the  charac- 
teristics of  the  Charleston  Wakefield,  other  than  in 
the  size  and  shape  of  head,  but  it  is  larger  and  quite 
as  early.  The  heads,  in  shape,  are  midway  between 
round  and  conical.  We  class  this  with  the  pointed- 
headed  cabbage,  because  of  its  parentage.  High 
cultivation  is  undoubtedly  the  cause  of  its  large  and 
round  heads,  as  when  given  poor  cultivation,  the 
tendency  is  toward  pointed  heads. 

Among  the  other  pointed  sorts,  the  following 


CABBAGE.  57 

are  recommended  for  garden  culture,  but  are  not 
profitable  for  the  market  gardener : 

Early  Etampes. — Next  to  Wakefield,  one  of  the 
best  early  sorts. 

Extra  Early  Express. — Early,  but  small. 

Very  Early  Paris  Market. — A  type  midway  be- 
tween the  large  and  small  ox  heart  varieties. 

Early  Ox  Heart. — Conical  heads,  but  little  used.  • 

Very  Early    Winningstadt. — For   the   private 
garden  this  is  one  of  the  best  in  cultivation,  and,  if 


Fig.  3 — Very  Early  Winningstadt 

planted  for  a  succession,  none  other  would  be  re- 
quired; in  point  of  tenderness  or  flavor  it  has  no 
superior.  But  it  is  of  no  use  as  a  market  cabbage. 
Its  good  qualities  for  the  table  make  it  unfit  for 
the  market.  (Fig.  3.) 


58  CABBAGE. 

FLAT  DUTCH  OR  DRUMHEAD  GROUP. 

In  all  catalogues  these  are  made  distinct  classes, 
and  of  each  class  there  are  numerous  varieties;  the 
claim  of  superiority  being  based  in  the  care  used  in 
selection,  and  of  the  seeds  being  grown  under  the 
most  favorable  conditions  for  the  development  of 
the  type  desired. 

The  name  Flat  Dutch  was  given  the  type  to 
designate  it  from  the  round  or  pointed  heads  as 
grown  in  Holland  nearly  a  century  since.  About 
1800  we  find  Drumhead  cabbage  noticed,  a  name 
applied  because  of  the  great  size.  A  few  years  later 
Flat  Dutch  Drumhead  was  listed  and  soon  thereafter 
the  names  became  separated,  and  *  'early"  and  "late" 
applied  to  each. 

There  is  much  confusion  in  nomenclature  in  the 
various  classes  of  the  Flat  Dutch  cabbages,  because 
of  the  popular  or  local  names.  In  this  class  there 
are  three  distinct  types  as  regards  earliness,  and  each 
of  these  has  about  as  many  local  or  trade  names  as 
there  are  dealers.  There  are,  strictly  speaking, 
early,  late  and  intermediate  varieties.  By  planting 
the  three  classes  a  difference  in  maturity  of  about 
three  weeks  between  the  earliest  and  latest  sorts  will 
be  noticed. 

To  show  that  the  difference  in  varieties  is  more 
imaginary  than  real,  we  would  say  that  in  our  fields 
and  trial  grounds,  when  parties  have  sent  us  their 
stocks  to  grow,  we  have  never  had  but  one  man  that 
was  able  to  distinguish  his  own. 

In  the  early  class,  Henderson's  Early  Summer, 
Early  Flat  Dutch,  Early  Drumhead,  Newark  Early 
Flat  Dutch,  Early  Deep  Head  and  Faultless,  are  best 


CABBAGE.  59 

represented    by    All    Head,    originally    known    as 
Strangs.     (Fig.  4.) 

Of  the  intermediate  sorts,  All  Seasons,  Van- 
dergaw,  Gregory,  Succession,  Surehead,  Bridgeport 
Drumhead,  Louisville  Drumhead,  Solid  South-, 
Stone  Mason,  Stein's  Flat  Dutch,  Fottler's  Bruns- 
wick, Short-stem  Drumhead,  Premium  Flat  Dutch, 
Excelsior  Flat  Dutch  and  Safe  Crop,  are  best  repre- 
sented by  Stein's  Flat  Dutch,  which  is  shorter- 
stemmed  and  a  trifle  flatter  than  the  All  Head. 


Fig.  4— All  Head. 

Of  the  late  varieties,  Large  Late  Flat  Dutch, 
Large  Late  Drumhead,  Marblehead  Mammoth, 
World  Beater,  Autumn  King,  Hundred  Weight  and 
Colossal,  are  best  represented  by  Market  Gardener's 
Private  Stock  Flat  Dutch  (synonym  —  Acme, 
Houseman).  (Fig.  5.) 

It  must  be  understood  that  the  enormous  heads 


6o 


CABBAGE. 


reported  to  have  been  grown,  and  exhibited,  cannot 
always  be  produced  from  the  same  kind  of  seed. 
Because  there  are  occasional  instances  of  such  mon- 
strous heads,  it  does  not  prove  them  to  be  the  result 
o-f  the  putting  out  the  plants  of  a  given  variety.  They 
are  due  rather  to  natural  conditions  favorable  for 
growth,  and  to  the  fact  that  every  possible  care  and 


Fig.   5 — Market  Gardener's   Private   Stock. 

attention  has  been  paid  to  cultivation.  Enormous 
growths  cannot  be  expected  in  other  than  deep, 
strong  soil,  rich  in  every  element  essential  to  this 
particular  growth. 

The  amateur  gardener  is  often  disappointed, 
and  feels  himself  injured  when  he  buys  seeds  and 
plants  for  an  enormous  growth  and  gets  below  the 


CABBAGE.  6 1 

ordinary  one.  He  should  not  be,  for  there  is  not 
one-half  of  one  per  cent,  of  the  soil  planted  to  cabbage 
that  has  in  it  the  possibilities  of  such  unusual  develop- 
ment. Besides  this  fact,  there «is  another  important 
consideration,  viz. :  The  relative  value  of  such  a 
production.  Any  one  who  has  tried  the  experiment 
knows  full  well  that  it  costs  double  to  produce  one 
hundred  or  even  fifty  pounds  of  cabbage  in  one  head 
than  it  does  to  produce  the  same  number  of  pounds 
in  ten  heads.  The  market  gardener  fully  under- 
stands this,  and  in  his  selection  of  varieties  chooses 
such  as  make  good  solid  heads  in  the  shortest  time 
and  at  the  least  cost. 

We  choose  to  let  this  statement  come  in  with 
the  list,  and  brief  description  of  varieties,  so  as  to 
counteract,  as  far  as  possible,  the  mistaken  idea  of 
selecting  for  size,  rather  than  for  productiveness  and 
quality.  The  grower, — whether  for  his  own  use  or 
for  market — should  select  such  varieties  as  will  give 
the  best  results  in  the  place  he  has  for  them. 

THE   SAVOY   GROUP. 

This  forms  a  distinct  class,  but  thus  far  an 
unimportant  one,  commercially,  notwithstanding  its 
being  by  far  the  most  tender  and  richest  flavored 
variety  of  cabbage,  when  grown  under  favorable 
conditions.  The  Savoy  must  not  be  grown  on  poor 
soil,  neither  must  good  cultivation  be  neglected.  It 
is  a  gross  feeder,  and  seems  to  delight,  more  than 
any  other  sort,  in  a  congenial  soil.  In  such  it  makes 
a  large  head,  of  good  size  and  solidity,  and  its  rich 
marrow-like  flavor  surpasses  that  of  any  other  of 
the  Brassica  vegetables. 


62  CABBAGE. 

A  well-grown  Savoy  in  the  garden  is  a  picture, 
its  rich  deep  green  color,  finely  netted  and  regularly 
imbricated  leaves  make  it  the  rose  of  the  vegetable 
garden.  Notwithstanding  its  delicate  structure,  and 
tenderness  when  cooked,  it  rivals  the  kale  in  hardi- 
ness, and  will  endure,  in  field  or  garden,  fifteen  or 
even  more  degrees  of  frost,  without  apparent  injury. 
With  but  a  slight  covering  of  straw,  or  leaves,  which 
are  more  for  a  protection  against  the  sun  than  the 


Fig.  6 — American  Drumhead  Savoy. 

frost,  it  can  be  wintered  in  the  garden,  in  the  latitude 
of  New  York,  without  injury.  Like  the  Brussels 
sprouts  and  kale,  the  Savoys  are  greatly  benefited 
by  a  few  degrees  of  frost. 

The  Savoys  cannot  be  well  grown  as  early  or 
intermediate  sorts  in  this  latitude ;  they  do  not  thrive 
in  the  hot  weather  of  July  and  August,  but  make 
their  best  growth  from  the  middle  of  September  until 
the  middle  of  November.  The  Early  Ulm  Savoy 
comes  in  moderately  early,  but  it,  nor  any  other  of 


CABBAGE.  63 

its  class,  does  not  compare  at  all  favorably  with  the 
following  American-grown  sorts: 

Marvin's  Savoy,  Drumhead  Savoy,  Perfection 
Savoy,  Improved  American  Savoy.  All  these  are 
nearly  alike,  and  all  Long  Island  stocks.  (Fig.  6.) 

All  the  varieties  grown  in  this  country  have  a 
tendency  to  grow  larger  and  later  than  the  imported 
sorts.  Many  dealers  have  prefixed  their  own  names 


Fig.  7 — Mammoth  Rock  Red. 

to  the  various  Savoys  above  named,  without  im- 
proving or  detracting  from  the  quality  of  the  variety. 
A  dealer's  name  as  a  prefix  to  any  variety  simply 
shows  his  confidence  in  what  he  has  for  sale. 

THE  RED  CABBAGE  GROUP. 

Its  color  is  the  distinguishing  feature  of  this 
group,  although  by  many  it  is  also  highly  esteemed 


64  CABBAGE. 

for  its  richness  of  flavor  when  cooked  with  vinegar. 
It  is  also  much  used  for  pickling,  its  color  making 
it  a  pleasing  dish  for  the  eye  as  well  as  its  quality 
for  the  palate. 

This  class  has  undergone  the  same  changes  in 
size  and  form — by  selection  and  adaptation — that 
are  noticeable  in  all  the  other  classes  under  cultiva- 
tion in  this  country.  It  has  been  increased  to  fully 
three  times  its  original  size,  and  this  without  any 
loss  of  color. 

The  Mammoth  Rock  Red  is  the  variety  chiefly 
used.  This  produces  heads  weighing  from  ten  to 
fifteen  pounds,  very  solid,  and  of  the  darkest  color 
to  the  center  of  the  head.  There  are  two  strains  of 
this,  one  has  very  dark,  the  other  quite  light  outside 
leaves,  in  some  instances  nearly  as  light  as  some  of 
the  white  cabbages,  while  the  heads  are  of  the  darkest 
purplish  red  color.  (Fig.  7.) 

The  Mammoth  Rock  Red  should  be  treated  the 
same  in  all  respects  as  the  late  varieties  of  white 
cabbage,  but  higher  cultivation  is  necessary  to  pro- 
duce large  and  solid  heads. 

The  Red  Dutch  variety  is  used  to  some  extent 
in  private  gardens  where  but  a  single  head  is  all  that 
would  be  required.  The  plants  of  this  variety  are 
almost  sure  to  head  under  any  circumstances, 
although  the  heads  may  be  small,  they  will  be  per- 
fectly solid,  and  of  the  proper  color.  It  can  be 
grown  to  advantage,  if  an  early  head  is  desirable, 
as  it  will  make  its  growth  much  sooner  than  the 
Mammoth  Rock  Red.  It  is  one  of  the  hardiest  of 
all  cabbages,  and  had  its  origin  near  Mineola,  Long 
Island,  the  result  of  careful  selection. 


CABBAGE.  65 

THE  DANISH    BALL   HEAD   GROUP. 

Danish  Ball  Head,  Hollander,  Danish  Emperor 
and  German  Export  form  this  class,  which  is  rapidly 
growing  in  favor,  because  of  their  excellent  shipping 
qualities.  The  heads  are  of  medium  size,  and  for 
solidity  they  are  not  equaled  by  any  other  sort.  We 
consider  the  three  but  different  names  for  the  same 
variety.  Having  grown  them  side  by  side  for  a 
number  of  years,  we  have  not  been  able  to  see  the 
slightest  difference  in  shape,  size  or  habit  of  growth. 

These  have,  however,  a  peculiarity  strictly  their 
own,  that*  is,  in  their  habit  of  growth,  which  is  by 
no  means  fixed.  A  casual  look  at  a  field  would  give 
a  very  faint  and  poor  impression  of  this  cabbage,  as 
there  is  no  such  a  thing  as  fixed  habit  with  it,  other 
than  that  it  always  produces  a  head,  and  whether 
large  or  small,  it  will  always  have  that  cannon-ball 
appearance  that  is  characteristic  of  this  class.  In 
distinction  from  other  sorts  the  heads  of  this  are 
solid  from  the  start.  When  not  larger  than  an  apple 
they  are  as  hard  as  a  full-grown  head.  Some  of 
the  plants  will  be  tall,  others  dwarf,  whichever  it 
may  be,  the  plant  is  sure  to  make  a  head  of  some  size, 
and  that  head  will  be  solid. 

That  this  habit  may  and  will  be  changed  by 
careful  selection,  we  have  not  the  slightest  doubt. 
This  work  is  now  well  under  way,  and  we  await  the 
result  with  no  little  interest.  The  most  important 
consideration  in  its  adaptation  to  our  soil  and  climate 
is  whether  it  will  hold  its  solidity  of  head,  which 
makes  it  so  valuable  for  shipping  purposes,  besides 
making  a  desirable  sort  for  late  keeping.  The  lesson 
taught  by  the  development  of  the  red  cabbage,  which 


66  CABBAGE. 

has  changed  its  habit  to  a  remarkable  degree,  without 
a  change  in  its  distinctive  character,  leads  us  to  hope 
for  similar  results  with  this  group. 

Our  trial  ground  experiments  have  taught  us 
a  valuable  lesson,  which  is,  that  it  is  folly  to  look  for 
good  results  with  this  class  of  cabbage  with  ordinary 
cultivation.  The  best  results  are  only  obtainable 
when  it  is  grown  on  sod  ground,  which  should  be 
liberally  treated  with  stable  manure  before  plowing, 
after  which  tilth  should  be  as  thorough  as  the  nature 
of  the  soil  will  permit.  When  the  plants  are  ready 
to  set,  apply  one  hundred  pounds  nitrate  of  soda  per 
acre  in  the  rows  and  another  one  hundred  pounds 
just  as  the  heads  begin  to  form ;  apply  the  last  as 
near  the  plants  as  possible  and  cover  with  the  culti- 
vator. This  will  give  a  crop,  in  a  good  season,  of 
from  twenty-five  to  thirty  tons  per  acre. 

To  this  class  might  be  added  Gregory's  Hard 
Heading  Cabbage  (syn.  Luxemburg)  which  shows 
plainly  its  parentage,  in  its  specific  character.  This 
strain  has  an  enviable  reputation  on  Long  Island,  as 
a  good  keeper.  Many  farmers  use  it  exclusively  for 
burying,  and  they  affirm  that  it  keeps  perfectly  in 
the  trenches  until  April,  with  the  loss  of  but  few  out- 
side leaves,  and  that  the  heads  come  from  the 
trenches  perfectly  white,  which  is  characteristic  of 
the  class  from  which  it  originated. 

THE  ALPHA. 

This  does  not  belong  to  any  well-defined  class, 
but  has  so  many  characteristics  peculiarly  its  own  as 
to  constitute  it  an  individual  type,  or  class  by  itself. 
In  earliness  it  is  a  peer  of  the  Early  Jersey  Wake- 


CABBAGE.  67 

field.  If  there  is  any  difference  between  them  on  this 
score,  the  Alpha  takes  the  lead,  coming  in  a  few  days 
earlier.  In  leaf,  in  point  of  color  and  substance  it 
is  similar  to  the  Wakefield.  In  solidity  of  head  it 
compares  favorably  with  the  Danish  Ball  Head ;  it  is 
also  sure  to  head,  and,  whether  large  or  small,  the 
heads  are  intensely  hard,  even  when  not  more  than 
three  inches  in  diameter.  The  heads  have  but  few 
outer  leaves,  so  that  the  plants  can  be  set  even  closer 
than  the  Wakefield;  they  do  well  one  foot  apart  in 
the  row. 


Fig.  8— The  Alpha. 

In  habit  of  growth  its  individuality  is  shown 
to  the  best  advantage.  In  our  trial  grounds  we  had 
heads  eight  inches  in  diameter,  and  not  more  than 
seven  inches  above  the  ground,  while  in  the  field, 
where  they  were  planted  still  closer,  they  were  quite 
as  dwarf,  and  the  size  of  the  heads  is  from  five  to 
eight  inches  in  diameter.  (Fig.  8.) 

For  cold  slaw  it  is  one  of  the  best  we  have  ever 
known,  being  of  fine  texture,  tender,  and  of  good 
flavor,  while  for  boiling  it  is  all  that  can  be  desired. 


68  CABBAGE, 

Although  it  has  not  yet  been  offered  to  the  trade,  we 
speak  for  it  great  popularity  in  the  near  future. 

CABBAGE    FOR    SAUERKRAUT. 

As  a  rule,  one  would  suppose  that  the  best  cab- 
bage for  boiling  would  be  the  best  for  sauerkraut, 
but  those  who  make  and  eat  it  say  not.  As  the  fer- 
mentation destroys  the  fine  flavor  of  the  Savoy,  this 
is  not  used  because  of  its  tenderness.  The  manufac- 
turers prefer  a  solid  head,  of  good  size,  and  one  of 
medium  earliness.  One  concern  of  Long  Island  has 
for  the  past  two  years  used  the  All  Head,  and  cannot 
be  induced  to  try  any  other.  They  usually  furnish 
the  grower  with  the  seeds,  and  for  a  succession  they 
make  several  plantings  at  intervals  of  about  three 
weeks,  commencing  with  plants  grown  from  seeds 
sown  in  the  open,  as  soon  as  the  soil  is  in  condition 
to  be  worked. 


CAULIFLOWER. 


The  Cauliflower  as  a  market  crop  is  rapidly 
increasing  in  importance.  When  the  industry  was 
started  on  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  it  was  supposed 
cauliflower  could  not  be  grown  elsewhere,  because 
the  climatic  conditions  and  character  of  soil  were  in 
harmony  with  its  requirements  here,  and  not  else- 
where. The  large  returns  for  the  crop  soon  made 
its  growing  very  general  on  the  east  end  of  the 
island,  and  the  production  was  enormous,  as  may  be 
seen  by  the  fact  that  one  commission  merchant  in 
New  York  shipped  daily  to  Philadelphia  three  hun- 
dred barrels,  and  other  merchants  forwarded  as 
much,  not  only  to  Philadelphia,  but  to  other  cities. 
This  stimulated  the  market  gardeners  in  other  sec- 
tions of  the  country  to  efforts  at  production  on  their 
farms,  with  the  most  favorable  results  following. 

Soon  it  became  apparent  that  cauliflower  could 
be  profitably  grown  on  the  Atlantic  coast  from  Maine 
to  Florida.  But  the  industry  soon  spread  farther, 
until  the  Pacific  coast  became  an  active  competitor 
with  the  east.  Fresh  cauliflower  is  now  coming  in 
by  the  carload  daily  from  California  all  winter,  and. 
is  selling  at  two  dollars  and  a  half  per  crate,  which 
is  a  satisfactory  price  to  the  shipper  and  keeps  eastern 
markets  supplied  with  this  delicious  vegetable  every 
day  in  the  year. 

CULTIVATION. 

The  culture  of  cauliflower  does  not  essentially 
differ  in  general  from  that  of  cabbage.  The  soil  is 

69 


7O  CAULIFLOWER. 

prepared  in  the  same  manner,  the  seed  is  sown,  and 
the  plants  are  set  in  the  same  way.  But  the  culture 
usually  given  the  cabbage  is  not  sufficient  for  the 
cauliflower,  as  cabbage  will  suffer,  with  impunity,  an 
amount  of  abuse  in  cultivation  that  would  be  fatal 
to  cauliflower,  which  insists  on  thorough  tillage  and 
liberal  treatment  as  regards  manure,  and  will  not 
tolerate  neglect  in  any  respect.  Nevertheless  if  the 
same  amount  of  care  was  given  to  cabbage  that  the 
best  growers  of  cauliflower  give  to  the  cultivation 
of  that  crop  it  would  be  doubly  profitable. 

On  Long  Island,  which  is  a  congenial  home  for 
the  cauliflower,  the  seed  is  sown  at  intervals  from 
the  first  of  May  to  the  middle  of  June.  The  farmers 
usually  make  three  sowings,  intended  for  an  early, 
an  intermediate  and  a  late  crop.  In  some  seasons 
the  best  results  are  from  seed  sown  as  late  as  the 
first  of  July. 

There  is  no  crop  about  which  there  is  so  much 
uncertainty  as  that  of  the  cauliflower ;  no  calculation 
can  be  made  as  to  the  time  of  sowing  the  seed,  or  in 
setting  the  plants,  that  will  insure  success.  All,  or 
at  least  much,  depends  upon  that  fickle  goddess, 
Luck,  whose  favors  are  strangely  dispensed.  The 
early,  the  intermediate  and  the  late  plantings  are,  in 
turn,  profitable.  Not  unfrequently  the  slow  man — 
he  who  is  always  behind — will  reap  the  greater 
reward.  Hence  the  necessity  of  a  series  of  plant- 
ings, one  of  whjch  will  almost  invariably  succeed. 
It  is  safe  to  say  that  when  a  good  crop  is  secured, 
it  is  a  very  profitable  one. 

The  character  of  the  soil  has  generally  been 
supposed  to  be  of  the  greatest  importance  in  the  cul- 
tivation of  this  crop;  a  heavy  loam  with  a  gravelly 


CAULIFLOWER.  71 

subsoil  being  considered  the  most  favorable.  But 
recent  developments  have  shown  most  conclusively 
that  the  condition  of  the  soil  is  a  more  important 
matter,  and  that  climatic  influences  have  more  to  do 
with  success  or  failure  than  either.  We  have  often 
seen  as  good  crops  on  light  sandy  soil  as  on  the  best 
loam.  Whatever  the  nature  of  the  soil  may  be,  new 
ground,  or  rather  sod  ground,  can  always  be  more 
surely  depended  upon  for  a  crop,  than  to  let  it  follow 
some  other. 

Cauliflower  is  more  sensitive  to  checks  in  its 
various  stages  of  growth  than  cabbage.  In  the  seed 
bed,  a  strong  sturdy  growth  should  be  encouraged, 
rather  than  a  rapid  one.  With  this,  as  with  many 
other  crops,  it  is  a  mistake  to  make  the  seed  bed  too 
rich ;  in  such  the  plants  make  too  rapid  growth,  and 
are  much  more  liable  to  a  check  when  transplanted. 
It  is  better,  by  far,  to  start  the  plants  in  a  poor  soil, 
and  transfer  them  to  a  richer  one,  as  they  will  be 
then  in  a  better  condition  to  assimilate  plant  food. 

The  most  important  part  of  cauliflower  cultiva- 
tion is  the  growing  of  the  plants.  The  lack  of  sys- 
tem and  knowledge  of  the  plant's  necessities  in  this 
respect  have  been  the  causes  of  more  failure  of  crops 
than  all  others  combined.  Good  plants  can  never 
be  obtained  by  leaving  them  where  the  seed  is  sown 
until  they  are  supposed  to  be  ready  for  transplanting. 
As  soon  as  the  second  leaves  are  half  an  inch  long, 
the  plants  should  be  pricked  out  into  finely-prepared 
soil  and  set  half  an  inch  apart  in  the  rows,  one  inch 
apart.  Again,  when  the  third  pair  of  leaves  is  one 
inch  long,  they  should  be  again  pricked  out,  this 
time — for  convenience  of  transplanting  in  the  field — 
into  shallow  boxes,  say,  two  inches  deep.  Set  the 


72  CAULIFLOWER. 

plants  an  inch  apart  each  way,  water  thoroughly  as 
soon  as  each  box  is  filled,  and  let  them  grow  on  until 
the  proper  time  for  setting  in  the  field.  This  will  se- 
cure almost  absolute  success.  The  plants  .will  have 
formed  a  solid  mass  of  roots,  and,  with  but  little  care 
in  transplanting  the  plants  will  not  receive  the  slight- 
est check  in  growth,  which  is  so  essential  to  success. 

CAULIFLOWER  AS  AN  EARLY  SUMMER  CROP. 

It  has  generally  been  supposed  that,  in  our  cli- 
mate, cauliflower  cannot  be  made  a  summer  crop, 
than  which  there  can  be  no  greater  mistake.  It  can 
be,  and  is  made  a  most  profitable  summer  crop,  every 
year  by  a  farmer  near  Jamaica,  L.  I.  This  person 
grows  sixty  acres  annually,  and  from  plants  pro- 
duced in  the  manner  described  on  Page  30.  His 
plants  are  grown  under  glass  and  are  ready  for  the 
field  as  soon  in  the  spring  as  the  soil  can  be  brought 
in  proper  condition  to  receive  them.  When  his 
plants  are  set  a  handful  of  shell  lime  is  scattered 
closely  around  each.  This  he  considers  a  guarantee 
against  club-root  and  stem-rot,  from  the  fact  that 
he  is  never  troubled  with  either. 

The  crop  from  his  sixty  acres  is  all  harvested  in 
July  in  time  for  some  other  crop  which  is  sure  to 
follow  for  autumn  market.  But  for  the  ravages  of 
the  cabbage  worm  he  would  have  an  equal  acreage 
for  cutting  in  August  and  September. 

CAULIFLOWER  GROWN  UNDER  GLASS. 

This,  when  thoroughly  understood,  is  an  inter- 
esting and  profitable  branch  of  market  gardening. 
The  person  referred  to  above  is  also  a  most  success- 


CAULIFLOWER. 


73 


ful  grower  of  cauliflower  under  glass,  and 
has  fully  half  an  acre  growing  at  all  times 
during  winter.  Previously  to  the  shipments 
from  California,  during  the  winter  season, 
which  has  somewhat  lowered  the  price,  it 
was  a  very  profitable  crop,  as  it  could  be  produced  in 


Fig.  9 — Early  Erfurt  Cauliflower. 


eight  weeks  from  the  sowing  of  the  seed,  and  sold 
readily  at  fifty  cents  per  head.  The  plants  are 
all  grown  as  before  stated,  and  set  when  about 
four  inches  in  hight.  Between  them,  and  in  alter- 
nate rows,  lettuce  is  planted.  These  two  vegetables 
grow  in  harmony  together,  as  they  require  the  same 


74  CAULIFLOWER. 

temperature,  and  are  ready  for  cutting  by  the  time 
the  cauliflower  requires  the  room  they  occupy. 

The  soil  on  the  benches  is  about  six  inches  in 
depth.  A  lively  loam  made  rich  with  well-rotted 
manure  is  best  suited,  and,  with  a  temperature  of 
sixty  degrees  by  "day  and  forty-five  degrees  by  night, 
the  growth  is  rapid  and  healthful.  An  application 
of  nitrate  of  soda  in  solution,  at  the  rate  of  two 
hundred  pounds  per  acre,  when  the  plants  are  first 
set,  is  particularly  advantageous. 

VARIETIES. 

There  is  but  one  type  of  cauliflower  adapted  to 
the  Atlantic  coast,  namely  the  Erfurt,  of  which  there 
are  both  early  and  late  varieties.  ( Fig.  9. )  These  are 
sent  out  under  a  score  of  names,  but  they  are  Erfurt, 
for  all  that.  What  is  a  strange  peculiarity  with  this 
vegetable  is,  that  the  seed  best  adapted  to  our  country 
does  not  come  from  the  place  from  whence  it  derives 
its  name.  So  many  are  interested  in  this  crop,  and 
have  so  little  knowledge  of  the  seed,  we  reproduce  an 
article  we  furnished  the  Florists'  Exchange,  and 
which  will  show  very  plainly  why  good  cauliflower 
seed  must  of  necessity  be  sold  at  a  high  price. 

CAULIFLOWER  SEED. 

There  is  no  seed  coming  into  our  country  that 
is  in  such  common  use,  and  about  which  there  is  so 
little  known,  as  that  of  the  cauliflower.  Where  and 
how  grown  is  a  mystery  that  but  few  of  the  seedsmen 
who  handle  it  care  to  inquire  into.  The  most  com- 
mon variety,  the  Early  Dwarf  Erfurt,  which  has 


CAULIFLOWER.  75 

about  as  many  trade  names  as  there  are  dealers  that 
handle  it,  is  generally  supposed  to  be  grown  in 
Erfurt,  Germany,  whence  it.  derives  its  name.  That 
cauliflower  is  largely  grown  there  does  not  admit  of 
a  question,  and  that  it  there  reaches  the  highest  state 
cf  perfection  is  a  fact  also  well  known.  A£  the  same 
time,  but  little  of  the  seed  which  bears  that  name  is 
grown  there. 

Let  any  foreign  seedsman  visit  that  city  when 
the  cauliflower  is  in  perfection,  and  he  will  be  shown 
the  same  field  by  nearly  every  seedsman  in  the  place, 
each  claiming  it  as  his  own,  and  he  will  be  given  to 
understand  that  his  stock  of  seeds  comes  wholly  from 
this  field.  The  same  is  true  in  our  country.  Long 
Island  has  the  reputation  of  being  a  congenial  home 
of  the  cauliflower,  and  much  seed  is  sold  in  other 
parts  of  the  country  as  Long  Island  grown  seed, 
when  in  fact,  it  would  be  almost  an  impossibility  to 
grow  a  seed  here,  because  our  climate  is  too  dry  and 
hot  to  produce  it. 

"Whence  does  it  come?"  is  a  question  we  hear 
from  every  side,  and  the  one  we  will  answer.  But 
first  we  will  say  there  is  a  peculiarity  about  cauli- 
flower seed  that  is  not  common  to  any  other  class  of 
vegetables.  That  is,  the  same  seed,  when  grown 
under  different  conditions,  produces  entirely  different 
results.  For  instance,  seed  grown  in  Holland  will 
succeed  admirably  in  England,  but  will  be  utterly 
worthless  in  this  country;  and,  too,  the  same  seed 
grown  here  may  give  the  best  satisfaction  in  a  wet 
season,  and  be  utterly  worthless  in  a  dry  season, 
and  the  reverse. 

The  best  seed  we  get,  in  fact,  we  may  say  all 
the  good  seed  we  get,  comes  from  Copenhagen,  Den- 


76  CAULIFLOWER. 

mark,  and  it  matters  not  whether  it  comes  through 
French,  German,  English  or  American  dealers,  it  is 
of  Danish  growth.  It  is  indeed  strange  that  the 
finest  quality  of  Erfurt  cauliflower,  with  its  various 
synonyms,  is  only  grown  in  the  little  kingdom  of 
Denmark.  But,  what  is  still  more  strange,  the  best 
seed  is  only  produced  in  circumscribed  localities  in 
that  little  country.  The  country  being  so  small  in 
extent,  and  of  the  same,  or  nearly  the  same,  geologi- 
cal formation,  and  with  but  little  variation  of  climate, 
as  there  must  be  when  we  consider  that  the  whole 
kingdom  is  not  half  as  great  in  extent  as  the  state 
of  New  York,  and  that  the  highest  elevation  is  but 
four  hundred  feet,  one  would  naturally  suppose  there 
would  be  but  little  difference  in  its  vegetable  produc- 
tion ;  such,  however,  is  not  the  case.  On  the  penin- 
sula of  Jutland,  which  constitutes  the  larger  area  of 
Denmark,  all  attempts  to  grow  cauliflower  have 
proved  utter  failures. 

All  the  best  cauliflower  seed  furnished  to  the 
United  States  and  other  parts  of  the  world  is  grown 
in  a  few  spots  on  the  island  of  Zealand  (Seeland), 
where  the  climatic  conditions  are  most  favorable  for 
the  perfect  development  of  the  head,  as  well  as  for 
the  production  of  the  seed.  Under  the  most  favor- 
able circumstances  the  seed  crop  is  a  very  difficult 
one  to  obtain,  it  being  secured  at  great  cost,  and  with 
great  risk/as  will  be  seen  by  the  following  description 
of  the  methods  employed  in  its  cultivation : 

The  seed  is  sown  in  cold  frames  early  in  Sep- 
tember, and,  to  carry  the  plants  on  through  the 
winter,  and  until  time  to  transplant  into  the  field  the 
coming  spring,  requires  an  amount  of  care  and  labor 
that  none  but  a  patient,  slow-going  and  industrious 


CAULIFLOWER.  77 

people  would  submit  to.  There  is  a  secret,  too,  about 
keeping  the  plants  in  a  healthy  condition,  that  can 
only  be  learned  by  years  of  practical  experience;  it 
cannot  be  taught.  During  some  winters,  when  there 
are  no  great  extremes  of  temperature,  the  difficulties 
attending  the  keeping  of  the  plants  and  of  growing 
them  on  through  the  winter  are  not  serious.  But 
when  severe  and  long-continued  frosts,  accompanied 
by  heavy  snowstorms,  which  make  it  impossible  to 
freely  air  the  frames ;  and  again,  when  the  weather 
is  so  mild  as  to  excite  an  unhealthy  growth  at  a 
period  when  the  plants  should  be  kept  as  nearly  dor- 
mant as  possible,  then  difficulties  multiply  rapidly, 
and  it  is  a  fight  for  life.  Often  the  entire  crop  of 
plants  rots  away  during  these  trying  seasons,  even 
with  the  most  careful  attention.  Taking  it  for 
granted  the  plants  have  gone  through  the  winter 
safely,  in  early  spring  they  must  be  transplanted  into 
hotbeds  to  be  "started",  into  active  growth  before 
setting  out  in  the  open  fields,  and  this  is  an  uncertain 
work;  at  least,  the  proper  time  is  difficult  to  deter- 
mine, as  the  seasons  are  very  variable.  It  is  impor- 
tant to  have  the  plants  ready  for  the  field  at  the 
earliest  moment,  consistent  with  safety.  But  if 
started  too  early  and  the  "winter  lingers  in  the  lap 
of  spring,"  the  grower  is  again  in  a  quandary.  If 
the  plants  are  started  too  early,  they  may  be  either 
frost-bitten  or  rotten  before  planting  time  comes. 

In  the  most  favored  seasons,  the  plants  are  set 
in  very  rich  and  mellow  soil  from  the  loth  to  the 
2Oth  of  April,  and  commence  active  growth,  stimu- 
lated by  the  warm,  moist  atmosphere  wafted  over 
the  land  from  the  surrounding  sea.  And  when  the 
grower's  expectations  are  the  highest,  his  plants 


78  CAULIFLOWER. 

making-  rapid  and  vigorous  growth,  and  the  heads 
begin  to  form,  a  drouth  sets  in  which  blights  his 
hopes,  because,  if  he  has  no  means  of  irrigation,  his 
cauliflower  field  will  soon  present  a  sorry  sight  of 
stunted,  irregular,  small  or  leafy  heads,  which  con- 
trast sadly  with  those  grown  when  the  Danish  climate 
is  true  to  its  nature.  Then  the  fields  are  a  mass  of 
almost  dazzling  beauty ;  the  heads  are  all  perfect  in 
form,  large,  smooth  and  pure  white.  Again,  there 
is  a  moment  of  suspense ;  the  heads  may  be  too  solid, 
so  that  the  seed  stalks  cannot  break  through,  which 
makes  it  necessary  to  cut  out  a  small  piece  from  the 
center  of  the  head,  and  in  doing  this  there  is  danger 
of  cutting  the  seed  stalk,  which  would  ruin  that  head 
for  all  purposes. 

This  danger  past,  the  field  is  a  mass  of  golden 
yellow  flowers,  warming  up  the  grower's  anticipa- 
tions of  a  successful  crop,  another  trouble  looms  up. 
An  insect  enemy  appears,  almost  too  small  to  be  seen 
by  the  casual  observer,  and  eats  away  the  pistil,  which 
prevents  fertilization,  sometimes  in  part,  at  others 
wholly.  The  work  of  this  invidious  destroyer  is 
rapid,  and  against  its  attacks  there  does  not  appear 
to  be  any  protection. 

But  suppose  all  dangers  safely  past  until  Sep- 
tember arrives,  a  year  from  the  sowing  of  the  seed. 
The  pods  are  fully  developed,  and  the  seed  shows 
signs  of  ripening,  when  the  greatest  danger  of  all 
awaits  the  grower.  The  full  development  and  ripen- 
ing of  the  seed,  when  the  fall  weather  is  very  cool, 
cloudy  and  moist,  may  be  entirely  prevented  or 
protracted  for  many  weeks.  To  cut  the  seed  stalks 
too  early  is  dangerous ;  it  may  cause  a  greater  or  less 
proportion  of  the  seed  that  appeared  well  developed 


CAULIFLOWER.  79 

to  shrink  or  turn  light;  and  to  leave  it  too  long  in 
the  field  is  to  invite  night  frosts  to  kill  the  germi- 
nating po^wer,  or  at  least  weaken  it.  Frosts  fre- 
quently occur  in  September,  but  to  have  the  seed 
perfectly  developed  and  matured  it  should  remain  in 
the  field  uncut  until  about  October  10. 

To  prevent  injury  from  this  cause  it  sometimes 
becomes  necessary  to  start  lines  of  fire,  from  turf 
and  gas  tar,  or  anything  not  too  expensive  or  difficult 
to  obtain,  that  will  cause  a  vast  amount  of  smoke; 
these  fires  are  started  on  the  windward  side  of  the 
field,  and.  if  the  work  is  well  done,  will  save  the  crop. 

This  completes  the  growing  of  the  crop.  When 
the  stalks  are  cut  they  are  hung  up  in  open  sheds  for 
a  few  weeks,  so  that  the  seeds  may  draw  as  much 
nutriment  as  possible  from  the  stalks,  get  well  colored 
and  dry  enough  for  threshing  out.  In  our  rare 
atmosphere  seeds  of  similar  character  do  not  require 
so  much  attention,  but  will  ripen  or  "make"  thor- 
oughly in  the  field  after  having  been  cut  two  or 
three  days. 

Thus  it  can  be  readily  seen  that  cauliflower  seed 
cannot  be  produced  in  Denmark  even,  excepting  at 
great  cost,  and  no  one  grower  ever  produces  a  large 
quantity.  The  farms  there  are  all  small,  the  produc- 
tion entailing  the  hardest  labor,  and  what  we  would 
consider  a  small  amount  a  Danish  farmer  would 
regard  as  a  heavy  crop.  Some  of  the  largest  dealers 
have  their  local  agents  there  look  out  most  carefully 
for  the  best  stocks. 

We  are  often  asked  if  the  growing  of  cauli- 
flower seed  cannot  be  made  a  profitable  industry  in 
this  country ;  to  which  we  reply,  No,  most  emphati- 
cally, on  the  Atlantic  coast.  On  the  northern  Pacific 


SO  CAULIFLOWER. 

coast  some  very  good  seed  has  been  grown.  Last 
year  we  tested  two  samples;  one  Early  Snowball, 
the  other,  Dwarf  Erfurt.  The  first  named  sorts 
made  very  leafy  heads,  the  other  was  as  good  as  could 
be  desired.  From  our  experience  with  these  sorts, 
another  trial  might  be  the  exact  reverse.  Thus  far, 
as  a  market  gardener's  crop,  we  should  not  dare  to 
rely  upon  the  Pacific  coast  seed,  but  we  predict,  with 
confidence,  that  the  time  will  come  when  as  good 
seed  will  be  produced  in  our  Pacific  states  as  we  can 
get  from  Denmark.  Experience  is  a  great  educator, 
and  when  applied  carefully,  and  with  a  determination 
to  succeed,  success  will  come. 

It  must  not  for  a  moment  be  supposed  that  all 
the  seed  that  comes  from  Denmark  is  grown  there. 
They  have  merchants  there  with  as  keen  an  eye  to 
profit  as  any  in  the  world,  and  from  Danish  stock 
cauliflower  seed  is  grown  from  Norway  to  Algiers. 
In  appearance  there  is  but  little  difference,  but  there 
is  a  test  that  is  more  safe,  viz.,  price.  When  that  is 
low,  it  is  safe  to  conclude  that  the  seed  was  not 
grown  in  Denmark,  for  Danish  seed  always  com- 
mands a  high  price.  But  there  is  a  more  crucial 
test.  Give  one  of  those  who  offer  seed  at  a  low  price 
an  order  conditioned  upon  its  good  quality,  payment 
to  be  made  after  testing  it.  No  matter  how  high 
may  be  the  rating  of  the  one  giving  the  order,  and 
even  if  10  per  cent,  were  added  to  the  price  for 
interest,  the  order  would  not  be  recognized. 


BROCCOLI. 


The  Broccoli  is  a  hardy  variety  of  cauliflower, 
much  grown  in  England  and  on  the  continent, 
because  it  is  sufficiently  hardy  to  withstand  the  rigors 
of  their  winters,  which  the  better  varieties  of  cauli- 
flower will  not  do.  It  is  there  very  much  grown 


Fig.  10 — Early  White  Broccoli. 

and  highly  esteemed.  In  this  country  it  has  not  been 
grown  extensively,  but  could  be  to  advantage  in 
many  sections  on  the  southern  coast,  but  for  its 
destruction  by  the  cabbage  worm.  It  should  be 
treated  in  all  respects  like  the  cauliflower.  (Fig.  10.) 

81 


COLLARDS. 


The  Georgia  Collard,  which  is  grown  largely  at 
the  south  for  "greens,"  is  a  variety  of  cabbage  that 
does  not  form  heads.  It  is  the  same  that  in  France 
is  called  cow  cabbage,  because  it  is  there  largely 
grown  for  its  leaves,  that  are  stripped  from  the  stem 
and  fed  out  during  winter.  It  grows  there  to  the 
hight  of  five  to  six  feet.  It  is  also  largely  grown 
on  -the  Isle  of  Wight  for  the  same  purpose.  And 
the  dried  stems  are  there  considerably  used  for 
making  light  walking  sticks. 

In  England,  the  term  collard  is  applied  to  young 
unheaded  cabbages,  which  are  pulled  up  by  the  roots 
and  tied  in  bunches  for  the  market.  This  is  what 
one  gets  served  with  there  at  the  hotels  when  cabbage 
is  ordered.  "White  cabbage,"  as  they  term  cabbage 
that  has  headed,  and  as  we  use  it,  is  not  considered 
fit  for  the  table,  and  is  only  used  as  feed  for  stock. 

In  our  southern  states,  under  extreme  climatic 
conditions,  it  has  assumed  a  type  quite  distinct  from 
that  grown  in  moist,  cool  climates.  For  "greens" 
it  is  a  valuable  plant,  being  of  easy  culture  and  very 
productive.  As  in  Europe,  when  the  leaves  are 
taken  from  the  stem  others  form  on  the  top  and  the 
plant  increases  in  size.  The  seed  should  be  sown 
as  for  cabbage,  from  June  until  August,  for  a  suc- 
cession. Transplant  in  rows  thirty  inches  apart, 
and  the  plants  one  foot  apart  in  the  rows. 

82 


COLLARDS.  83 

Prof.  W.  F.  Massey  of  the  North  Carolina 
experiment  station,  highly  recommends  its  use  at 
the  south,  and  speaks  of  it  as  follows  in  the  American 
Agriculturist: 

To  most  northern  readers  the  collard  is  an 
unknown  vegetable,  lightly  passed  over  in  seedsmen's 
catalogues  as  a  "non-heading  variety  of  cabbage 
grown  in  the  south,"  and  but  few  of  them  know  that 
when  properly  blanched  even  the  loose,  unheaded 
collard  is  a  vastly  sweeter  and  more  delicate  vegetable 
than  the  northern  cabbage.  Therefore,  if  it  can  be 
induced  to  head  and  bleach  with  certainty  we  will 
have  no  cause  to  regret  most  of  the  coarse,  large 
cabbages.  There  are  several  varieties  grown,  from 
the  dark  purple-leaved,  green-leaved,  to  a  variety 
with  a  loose,  open  head,  but  self -blanching.  I  believe 
that  we  have  at  the  station  the  seed  of  the  cream  of 
all  the  collards  from  Texas,  Louisiana,  Mississippi, 
Georgia,  and  North  Carolina,  and  may  count  on  good 
results.  In  the  meantime  I  am  by  no  means  satisfied 
that  the  best  of  the  northern  cabbages  cannot  be 
grown  here. 

The  general  practice  with  growers  here  is  to 
sow  cabbage  seed  in  the  spring,  just  as  truck  farmers 
at  the  north  do,  and  transplant  in  July,  and  then 
when  the  cabbages  succumb  to  the  long  heat  and 
drouth,  and  the  swarming  insects,  conclusion  is 
reached  that  we  cannot  grow  cabbages  for  winter 
use  in  this  climate.  Last  summer  I  sowed  seed  of 
Late  Flat  Dutch  cabbage  the  middle  of  August.  The 
plants  were  set  out  in  September.  But  the  autumn 
was  uncommonly  dry,  and  I  feared  at  one  time  the 
experiment  would  be  a  total  failure.  Yet  in  spite 
of  all,  and  in  soil  of  only  moderate  fertility,  very  fair 


Fig.  II— Branching  Collard. 


COLLARDS.  85 

heads  of  cabbage  were  made  by  Christmas.  Had 
the  season  been  as  rainy  as  usual  the  crop  would 
have  been  very  good.  Now  here,  it  seems  to  me,  is 
a  good  suggestion  to  southern  planters.  Sow  the 
cabbage  seed  not  earlier  than  the  last  of  July.  Set 
the  plants  in  ground  naturally  moist,  manure  very 
heavily,  and  work  rapidly,  and  good  cabbage  can  be 
grown  in  most  seasons.  Then,  after  succeeding  in 
getting  good  heads,  save  the  best  for  seed,  and 
develop  a  strain  suited  to  your  wants. 

The  cabbage,  a  native  of  a  cool,  moist  climate, 
must  necessarily  degenerate  in  our  hot  summers,  but 
in  most  places  in  the  south  all  kinds  of  cabbage  thrive 
from  October  to  May.  We  grow  early  cabbage  for 
the  north  in  great  quantities,  and  by  bringing  our 
winter  cabbages  into  the  earlier  part  of  the  cool  sea- 
son, I  can  see  no  reason  why  we  may  not  grow  them 
as  well  as  the  spring  crop.  So,  while  holding  the 
collard  to  be  "a  survival  of  the  fittest"  in  this  climate, 
and  proper  stock  to  work  on,  we  will  not  altogether 
abandon  the  hope  of  profiting  by  the  skillful  selec- 
tions of  generations  of  seedsmen  as  represented  in 
the  best  sorts  of  heading  cabbages. 

Fig.  ii  is  an  exact  representation,  engraved 
after  a  photograph,  of  a  specimen  grown  in  Florida, 
the  stem  of  which  was  four  feet  high,  and  the  hight 
of  the  entire  plant  eight  feet. 


BRUSSELS  SPROUTS. 


The  growing  of  Brussels  Sprouts  is  rapidly 
increasing,  and  that  because  the  industry  is  more 
profitable  than  many  others.  Since  the  farmers  on 
Long  Island  began  its  cultivation  the  acreage  planted 
has  about  doubled  annually  without  any  falling  off 
in  the  price  of  the  product.  This  is  due  to  the  fact 
of  the  vegetable  becoming  better  known.  It  is  now 
justly  regarded  a  delicacy,  one  of  the  most  delicious 
of  the  Brassica  genus.  As  with  other  articles,  repu- 
tation increases  the  demand,  and  the  greater  the 
demand  the  better  the  price. 

CULTIVATION. 

The  cultivation  of  Brussels  sprouts  does  not 
differ  in  any  respect  from  that  of  the  cabbage  and 
cauliflower.  It  will  thrive  under  ordinary  culti- 
vation. It  will  amply  repay  all  the  care  and 
attention,  as  regards  cultivation,  that  can  be  given 
it.  For  an  early  crop,  the  seed  should  be  sown  the 
first  week  in  June,  and  the  plants  grown  on  and 
transplanted  in  the  same  manner  as  recommended  for 
cauliflower.  As  the  plants  are  more  compact  in  their 
habit  of  growth  than  cabbage  they  may  be  set  two 
feet  apart  in  rows  three  feet  apart.  This  will  give 
7,260  plants  to  the  acre,  which,  with  good  cultivation, 
will  give  10,000  quarts  to  the  acre.  But  few 
growers,  however,  get  such  results,  which  is  not  the 

86 


BRUSSELS  SPROUTS.  87 

fault  of  the  plant,  as  its  capabilities  are  fully  as  great 
as  stated. 

As  a  rule,  the  young  heads  will  be  ready  for 
market  by  the  middle  of  October,  but  they  should 
not  be  picked  until  after  the  first  hard  frost,  which 
makes  them  more  delicate  and  tender.  Picking  may 
commence  at  any  time  after  the  little  heads  are  an 
inch  in  diameter,  if  they  are  hard  and  solid,  stripping 
the  larger  ones  first,  which  will  afford  the  others  a 
chance  to  grow,  and  this  they  will  do  at  all  times 
when  the  circulation  of  sap  is  not  checked  by  severe 
cold  and  the  picking  is  kept  up  the  entire  winter. 
Upon  the  approach  of  winter,  in  latitudes  where 
there  are  heavy  falls  of  snow,  the  plants  can  be  cut 
close  to  the  ground  and  stored  in  a  warm  shed  or 
cellar  and  the  little  heads  taken  off  at  leisure. 

For  a  late  crop  a  sowing  may  be  made  the  last 
week  in  June,  and  these  plants  will  remain  out  during 
the  winter,  and  the  crop  gathered  in  March.  The 
plants  will  endure  twenty  degrees  of  frost  without 
injury,  and  will  grow  every  day  during  winter  when 
the  temperature  is  not  much  below  the  freezing  point. 

The  crop  is  marketed  in  the  following  manner : 
The  little  heads  are  broken  off  from  the  stem  and 
packed  in  quart  boxes  and  these  are  packed  in  crates 
in  precisely  the  same  manner  as  strawberries.  Care 
must  be  taken  in  packing  to  remove  the  loose  outer 
leaves  from  the  heads  so  that  they  will  appear  fresh 
when  they  reach  the  market.  As  the  season  advances 
there  will  be  more  of  these  to  be  taken  off.  At  the 
same  time  the  price  usually  advances  late  in  the 
season,  so  that  in  case  the  heads  are  half  wasted  in 
picking  over,  the  profit  will  be  just  the  same. 

This  is  comparatively  a  new  industry  in  this 


83 


BRUSSELS  SPROUTS. 


country,  but  the  sales  are  annually  increasing,  and 
the  price  has  at  no  time  been  so  low  that  they  have 
not  been  a  good  paying  crop.  The  price  obtained 
depends  largely  upon  quality,  or  their  appearance 
when  they  reach  the  market.  Those  who  take 
special  care  in  packing — putting  the  little  heads  in 


Fig.  12 — Long  Island  Improved  Brussels  Sprouts. 

firmly  so  they  will  not  shake  in  transit,  and  having 
the  top  layer  in  regular  rows,  top  side  up — get  nearly 
double  as  much  per  quart  as  do  those  who  pack  in 
a  careless  manner. 

An  important  consideration  in  the  growing  of 
this  crop  is,  that  it  furnishes  work  for  the  winter, 


BRUSSELS  SPROUTS.  89 

when  the  farmer  and  market  gardener  has  but  little 
to  do.  In  many  instances  the  hired  man  is  now 
employed  the  whole  year,  as  his  services  are  as 
valuable  in  winter  in  picking  and  preparing  the 
sprouts  for  the  market  as  they  are  in  the  summer  in 
growing  them.  The  farmer  who  has  employment 
every  day  in  the  year  materially  increases  his  income. 

VARIETY. 

There  is  but  one  variety  in  general  use  with  us, 
and  that  is  the  half-dwarf  (Fig.  12).  The  best  seed 
is  now  grown  on  Long  Island,  as  the  growers  are 
paying  special  attention  to  the  saving  of  the  seed. 
The  same  improvement  that  has  been  made  in  the 
development  of  the  cabbage  is  equally  marked  in  the 
Brussels  sprouts.  By  careful  selection  and  through 
climatic  influences,  the  variety  has  improved  both  in 
quality  and  productiveness.  From  the  improved 
type  two  quarts  of  the  little  heads  fit  for  market  have 
been  taken  from  a  single  plant.  But  a  quart  from  a 
plant  would  be  a  good  crop,  and  a  paying  one,  as  a 
quart  is  worth  in  the  market  at  least  twice  as  much 
as  a  head  of  cabbage — frequently  from  three  to  four 
times  as  much. 


KALE    OR  BORECOLE. 


The  nomenclature  of  this  vegetable  is  decidedly 
mixed;  there  are  many  varieties  and  sub-varieties, 
and  each  has  its  local  or  popular  names.  Of  the 
Kale  there  are  three  distinct  types,  the  Scotch,  Sibe- 
rian, and  brown  or  purple;  of  these  there  are  tall, 


Fig.  13— Dwarf  Scotch  Kale. 

dwarf  and  intermediate  sorts.  In  some  localities 
they  are  classed  sprouts,  in  others  German  greens, 
but  now,  in  our  markets  it  is  generally  known  as 
kale  without  regard  to  variety  or  type.  The  dwarf 
curled  or  finely-fringed  varieties  are  now  the  most 

90 


KALE  OR  BORECOLE.  9 1 

generally  grown,  and  of  these  there  are  two  dis- 
tinct sorts : 

The  Dwrarf  Scotch  (Fig.  13),  which  is  sold  in 
different  countries  under  a  score  of  names,  is  our 
most  desirable  variety,  because  of  its  hardiness  as 
well  as  for  its  excellent  quality,  to  which  may  be 
added  great  beauty.  From  their  dwarf  habit  the 
plants  are  liable  to  be  covered  with  snow  during  the 
winter,  but  even  without  this  protection,  it  is  rarely, 
if  ever,  injured  by  frost,  and  can  be  cut  at  almost 
any  time  during  winter.  The  leaves  are  of  a  light 
green  color,  and  as  finely  fringed  at  the  edges  as  the 
finest  curled  parsley. 

The  Siberian  kale  has  very  nearly  the  same 
habit,  but  is  a  stronger  grower,  with  much  darker 
leaves,  but  equally  as  finely  fringed.  It  is  by  no 
means  as  hardy  as  the  Scotch  kale,  and  in  this 
climate  the  outer  leaves  are  frequently  destroyed  by 
frost,  so  as  to  be  unfit  for  use,  while  the  Scotch  will 
not  be  at  all  injured.  The  last  winter,  which  has 
had  short  periods  of  unusually  severe  cold,  has  not 
injured  the  Scotch  kale  in  the  least,  while  the 
Siberian,  though  not  killed,  had  to  produce  entire 
new  leaves  in  spring,  which  it  will  not  do  if  the 
plants  are  strong,  as  they  will,  upon  the  commence- 
ment of  a  new  growth,  throw  up  their  flowering 
stems. 

Both  of  these  varieties  are  largely  grown  in 
Virginia  for  the  northern  markets.  The  seed  is 
sown  at  any  time  during  September,  in  rows  sixteen 
inches  apart,  and  the  plants  should  be  thinned  out  to 
six  inches  apart  in  the  rows;  they  will  then  com- 
pletely cover  the  ground.  The  only  care  required  in 
cultivation  is  to  keep  the  ground  perfectly  clean,  but 


92  KALE  OR  BORECOLE. 

not  to  cultivate  deeply,  surface  working  being  all 
that  will  be  required. 

For  a  winter's  crop,  the  Scotch  kale  should  be 
sown  by  the  first  of  July  in  the  latitude  of  New  York 
city,  or  at  least  a  month  earlier  than  in  Virginia,  and 
if  sown  on  rather  dry  soils,  where  there  is  a  good 
natural  drainage,  it  can  be  profitably  grown  through- 
out the  northern  and  western  states.  In  some  locali- 
ties the  Dwarf  Scotch  kale  is  known  as  German 
greens  or  sprouts. 

We  find  the  most  carefully  selected  strains  of 
both  these  varieties.  Those  whose  leaves  are  the 
most  fringed  are  the  ones  that  will  endure  the  most 
cold  without  injury.  The  seed  of  the  Scotch  is 
light  colored,  and  can  readily  be  distinguished  from 
the  Siberian,  which  is  very  black.  If  the  market 
gardener  is  anxious  to  grow  Scotch  kale  and  has 
black  seed  sent  him,  he  may  know  at  once  there  is 
a  mistake. 

The  brown  or  purple  kale  is  the  most  hardy  of 
all,  and  is  a  favorite  with  the  German  gardeners,  but 
is  not  as  much  grown  as  formerly,  because  of  its 
coarse  habit,  and  that  it  is  not  considered  as  delicate 
a  vegetable.  But  while  there  is  a  marked  difference 
in  the  appearance  of  the  growing  plants,  the  taste 
does  not  find  a  marked  difference  in  the  varieties, 
as  a  vegetable. 


KOHL-RABI. 


Although  strictly  a  cabbage,  botanically,  this 
vegetable  stands  midway  between  the  cabbage  and 
the  turnip,  and  partakes  of  the  character  of  both. 
The  edible  portion  closely  resembles  a  wellrshaped 
globe  turnip  grown  above  ground.  When  young, 
and  properly  cooked,  it  is  as  tender  and  delicate  as 
the  cauliflower,  and  has  as  pleasing  a  flavor.  When 
old,  it  is  tough,  stringy  and  unpalatable,  excepting 
that  portion  next  to  the  ground.  No  matter  how 
tough  and  hard  the  upper  portion  may  be,  the  lower 
part  is  always  tender. 

Kohl-rabi  is  fit  to  eat  only  when  young,  and 
not  more  than  two  inches  in  diameter ;  to  that  end  a 
succession  of  plantings  is  necessary.  Not,  however, 
for  a  summer  crop,  unless  grown  in  a  moist  soil  and 
under  a  lattice  shade,  as  it  will  not  thrive  during  July 
and  August  in  the  open.  In  this  respect  it  is  quite 
similar  to  the  turnip. 

CULTIVATION. 

The  seed  may  be  sown  as  soon  as  the  soil  is  in 
good  condition  to  work,  either  in  drills,  the  same  as 
the  beet,  and  thinned  out  to  two  inches  apart,  or  it 
may  be  sown  in  the  same  manner  as  the  cabbage,  and 
transplanted.  The  latter  is  the  better  way,  as  the 
small  plants  are  more  easily  cared  for  in  a  seed  bed 

93 


94  KOIIL-RABI. 

than  in  the  field  or  garden.  For  an  early  crop  the 
seed  may  be  sown  in  a  hotbed  to  good  advantage.  A 
good  feature  of  this  vegetable  is  that  the  seed  may 
be  sown  at  frequent  intervals  and  the  plants  set  when- 
ever and  wherever  there  is  a  vacant  place  in  the 
garden.  The  soil  should  be  made  rich  and  fine,  as 
rapid  growth  is  the  secret  of  success  in  getting  the 
highest  degree  of  excellence. 

Kohl-rabi  is  a  valuable  crop  for  autumn,  as  the 
seed  can  be  sown,  and  the  plants  set  as  late  as  the 


Fig.  14— White  Vienna  Kohl-Rabi. 

last  week  in  September  and  perfect  their  growth; 
and  be  kept  for  winter  use  the  same  as  root  crops. 
But  it  will  not  do  to  plant  in  a  soil  already  impov- 
erished by  the  production  of  some  previous  crop. 
Wherever  the  plants  are  set,  let  the  soil  be  as  care- 
fully prepared  as  for  a  spring  crop.  In  France  this 
vegetable  was  formerly  much  grown  for  feeding 
cattle,  and  highly  esteemed  on  account  of  its  not 
imparting  a  disagreeable  flavor  to  the  milk. 

The  varieties  are  the  white  and  purple  Vienna, 


KOHL-RABI.  95 

between  which  there  is  no  perceptible  difference 
excepting  in  color;  the  white,  however,  is  the  most 
pleasing-  in  appearance,  and  the  one  most  generally 
used.  (Fig.  14.)  The  kohl-rabi  is  usually  cooked 
and  served  with  sauce  in  the  same  manner  as  early 
turnips.  A  good  way  of  cooking  is  to  boil  until 
nearly  tender,  and  then  slice  thinly  and  fry  in  butter. 
'When  cooked  in  this  manner  they  are  by  far  the 
most  palatable  of  any  of  the  Brassicas. 


INJURIOUS  INSECTS. 


The  insects  which  prey  especially  upon  cabbage, 
cauliflower  and  related  plants  are  obnoxious  both  to 
the  producer  and  to  the  consumer.  The  former  sees 
his  growing  plants  destroyed  by  the  ravages  of 
worms  and  his  chances  for  profiting  by  his  labors 
daily  grow  less ;  while  the  consumer  suffers  revolting 
disappointment  when  the  cabbage  or  cauliflower  he 
has  purchased  shows,  on  preparation  for  the  table, 
the  canals  and  disgusting  masses  of  excrement  which 
mark  the  work  of  these  pests  on  the  mature  vege- 
tables. All  are  interested,  then,  in  checking  the 
ravages  of  these  insects,  but  the  successful  solution 
of  the  problem  has  been  somewhat  difficult;  for  the 
character  of  the  plants  and  the  habits  of  the  insects 
both  interfere  to  prevent  success  from  methods 
applicable  against  other  insects. 

THE   CABBAGE   WORM. 

Best  known  of  the  cabbage  pests,  and  the  one 
which  until  within  a  few  years  has  been  the  most 
harmful  in  the  market  garden  sections,  is  the  green 
cabbage  worm,  the  larva  of  the  familiar  white  but- 
terfly, the  imported  or  European  species,  Pieris 
rapac.  These  insects  pass  the  winter  as  chrysalids 
or  pupae  attached  to  the  under  sides  of  rails,  sticks, 
weeds,  or  in  any  place  where  they  are  protected  from 
excessive  moisture.  Early  in  May,  or  even  in  April, 

96 


INJURIOUS    INSECTS.  97 

if  the  air  is  warm  for  several  days,  the  butterflies 
emerge  from  the  chrysalid  shell,  soon  pair  and  begin 
egg  laying.  The  eggs,  from  100  to  300  in  number, 
are  deposited  singly  upon  the  under  sides  and  edges 
of  leaves  of  old  cabbage  stumps,  early  cabbage,  kale, 
wild  radish,  cress  or  related  plants.  The  egg  laying 
may  last  for  three  weeks,  by  which  time  the  worms 
from  those  first  laid  have  hatched,  fed,  grown  to  full 
size  and  are  ready  to  pupate.  The  old  butterflies 
live  for  some  time  after  laying  their  eggs,  so  that 


Fig.  15— Imported  Cabbage  Worm,  Chrysalis  and 
Female  Butterfly. 

before  they  have  passed  away  those  of  the  new  brood 
have  come  out  and  are  ready  to  start  a  new  genera- 
tion. This  overlapping  of  broods  makes  it  impossi- 
ble to  destroy  all  the  pests  at  one  application  of  an 
insecticide,  no  matter  how  successful;  because  any 
poison  would  be  eaten  only  by  the  worms,  leaving 
unharmed  both  eggs  and  mature  insects.  If  all  eggs 
and  worms  could  be  destroyed  by  hot  water  or  insect- 
icides which  kill  by  contact,  the  butterflies  would  still 
remain,  prepared  to  restock  the  plants  with  eggs. 


98  INJURIOUS    INSECTS. 

This  succession  of  broods  continues  throughout  the1 
summer,  four,  five  or  even  more  generations  arising 
as  the  season  is  more  or  less  prolonged.  The  larva 
of  the  imported  cabbage  worm  is  shown  at  a  in  Fig. 
15,  the  chrysalis  at  b,  and  the  female  butterfly  at  c. 
A  few  other  species  of  the  genus  Picris  are 
quite  destructive  to  cabbage  in  our  southern  states. 
Their  life  history  and  manner  of  feeding  are  practi- 
cally the  same  as  those  of  the  imported  cabbage 
worm,  and  the  treatment  is  the  same. 

THE   CABBAGE  LOOPER.* 

This  insect,  the  scientific  name  of  which  is 
Plusia  brassicae,  has  long  been  counted  the  most 
destructive  of  cabbage  pests  in  the  south,  and  for  the 
past  four  years  has  been  a  worse  enemy  on  Long 
Island  than  the  cabbage  worm.  It  is  less  known,, 
however,  and  the  injury  it  does  is  usually  attributed 
to  the  cabbage  worm ;  for  the  larvae  or  worms  are 
quite  similar  in  color  to  the  other  species  and  the 
moths  are  less  conspicuous  in  color,  and  fly  princi- 
pally on  cloudy  days  and  late  in  the  afternoon, 
remaining  concealed  during  the  day  under  the  leaves 
and  in  sheltered  nooks  and  crannies.  The  worms 
are  voracious  and  more  general  feeders,  eating  not 
only  all  plants  of  the  cabbage  family,  but  also  let- 
tuce, spinach,  tomatoes,  celery,  carnations,  chrysan- 
themums, smilax,  heliotrope  and  many  other  forc- 
ing-house plants.  They  are  especially  destructive 
to  forcing-house  lettuce  and  a  few  moths  in  even  a 
large  house  may  soon  cause  irreparable  injury,  as  a 

*Condensed  from  a  special  bulletin  of  the  New  York  Agricultural  Expert- - 
ment  Station  by  Professor  F.  A.  Sirrine. 


INJURIOUS    INSECTS. 


99 


single  worm  may  devour  a  newly  transplanted  plant 
in  a  night.  The  moth,  worm  and  egg  are  shown 
in  Fig.  1 6.  The  worms  are  marked,  when  partially 
grown,  by  distinct  white  lines  along  the  sides;  and, 
unlike  the  cabbage  worms,  they  have  legs  only  at 
the  ends  of  their  bodies,  so  that  they  travel  by  ''loop- 
ing" and  not  by  crawling.  In  their  life  history  they 
are  quite  similar  to  the  cabbage  worms,  but  appear 
earlier  in  the  season  and  continue  longer,  with  the 
same  overlapping  of  broods  which  prevents  easy 


Fig.  1 6 — Looper — <?,  Larva  ;  6,  Chrysalis;  <r,  Moth. 

destruction.  In  addition  they  have  other  peculiari- 
ties which  increase  the  difficulty  of  combating  them. 
They  feed  upon  such  a  range  of  plants  that  poisoned 
trap-crops  are  of  little  benefit ;  and  they  work  largely 
upon  the  under  side  of  the  leaves,  where  they  may 
remain  unnoticed  until  much  damage  has  been  done, 
and  where  only  very  thorough  application  of  reme- 
dies will  affect  them.  They  are  also  active  in 
movements,  and  discriminating  in  taste,  so  that  they 


1OO  INJURIOUS    INSECTS. 

quickly  desert  feeding  places  which  show  traces  of 
poison  or  other  foreign  substances. 

Requisites  for  Successful  Treatment. — Plants 
of  the  cabbage  character  are  specially  difficult  to  treat 
with  insecticides  because  of  the  crowding  together 
of  their  leaves  and  the  smoothness  of  the  surfaces. 
These  features  of  cabbage  make  it  difficult  to  reach 
all  portions  of  the  plants  and  to  make  the  insecticide 
adhere  when  applied.  Any  dry  powder  will  adhere 
only  in  occasional  spots  upon  the  leaves,  will  gen- 
erally collect  along  veins  and  midrib,  which  are  not 
usually  eaten  by  the  worms,  and  will  be  washed  off 
by  the  first  light  rain.  This  characteristic  of  the 
cabbage  and  cauliflower  foliage,  with  the  overlap- 
ping broods  of  both  cabbage  worm  and  cabbage 
looper  and  the  retiring  habit,  activity  and  careful 
feeding  of  the  latter,  make  it  necessary  in  working 
against  them  to  select  an  insecticide  that  will  "stay 
where  it  is  put"  and  that  will  carry  sufficient  poison 
to  kill  the  loopers,  even  though  they  eat  but  a  small 
quantity.  The  applications  must  be  made  so  thor- 
oughly that  every  spot  of  surface  will  be  protected 
and  the  treatment  repeated,  at  least  once,  to  insure 
destruction  of  the  newly  hatched  worms. 

The  Best  Poison  Carrier. — After  repeated  tests 
an  excellent  material  for  securing  uniform  distribu- 
tion and  perfect  adhesion  has  been  found  in  a  resin- 
lime  mixture.  In  preparing  this  mixture  it  is  neces- 
sary to  make  a  stock  solution  from  the  following 
formula : 

Pulverized  resin 5  Ibs. 

Concentrated  lye .    - I  Ib. 

Fish  oil,  or  any  cheap  animal  oil  except  tallow  i  pt. 

Water 5  gals. 


INJURIOUS   INSE^Tb. 

Place  oil,  resin  and  a  gallon  of  water1  iri  ah  i'ron 
kettle  and  heat  until  resin  is  softened;  add  lye  solu- 
tion made  as  for  hard  soap;  stir  thoroughly;  add 
remainder  of  water  and  boil  about  two  hours,  or 
until  the  mixture  will  unite  with  cold  water,  making 
a  clear,  amber-colored  liquid.  If  the  mixture  has 
boiled  away  too  much,  add  sufficient  boiling  water 
to  make  rive  gallons. 

For  use,  one  gallon  of  this  stock  solution  is 
diluted  with  sixteen  gallons  of  water  and  afterward 
three  gallons  of  milk-of-lime  or  whitewash  added. 
The  resin  mixture  is  in  reality  a  liquid  soap,  and  the 
addition  of  the  lime  turns  it  to  a  hard  soap  which 
remains  suspended  in  the  water  in  minute  particles. 
The  poison,  one-fourth  pound  of  Paris  green  or 
other  arsenite,  is  then  added,  and  the  particles  of 
poison  adhere  to  the  finely  divided  soap  particles  and 
are  thus  distributed  throughout  the  mixture  in 
minute  and  uniform  quantities.  The  soap  solution 
is  very  adhesive  and  thus  a  thin  film  of  poison  is 
made  to  stick  to  every  part  of  the  leaf  which  is 
touched  by  the  spray.  The  application  must  be 
made  by  a  hand  power  machine,  either  a  strongly- 
made  knapsack,  or  a  barrel  sprayer,  as  no  horse 
power  machine  will  do  the  work  thoroughly  enough 
or  carefully  enough  upon  cabbage  and  cauliflower. 

Early  Tests. — This  resin-lime  mixture  received 
its  first  test  upon  cabbages  in  1896,  though  it  was 
used  with  perfect  success  against  cabbage  worms 
upon  smooth-leaved  turnips  in  1895.  Not  a  living 
worm  could  be  found  upon  the  patch  three  days  after 
the  spraying,  and  the  protection  was  excellent,  even 
to  the  end  of  the  season,  notwithstanding  heavy 
rains. 


102  INJURIOUS    INSECTS. 


''  On  ^Cabbage. — In  subsequent  tests  upon  cab- 
bage, the  mixture  with  Paris  green  was  used  upon 
one  farm  in  comparison  with  Bordeaux  mixture, 
Bordeaux  mixture  and  Paris  green,  Paris  green  and 
resin  mixture  without  lime  and  with  an  application 
of  salt ;  and  upon  another  farm  with  Bordeaux  mix- 
ture and  with  an  application  of  Paris  green  and 
flour.  The  cabbages  were  sprayed  twice,  once  late 
in  August  and  again  about  eighteen  days  later.  The 
results  were  surprisingly  in  favor  of  the  resin  mix- 
ture and  Paris  green.  This,  on  all  plats,  was  per- 
fectly effective  against  the  cabbage  worms  and  only 
slightly  less  so  against  the  cabbage  loopers.  The 
Bordeaux  mixture,  even  when  united  with  Paris 
green,  and  the  flour  and  Paris  green  were  of  little 
advantage  so  far  as  the  loopers  were  concerned, 
although  quite  destructive  to  the  cabbage  worms. 
The  loopers  evidently  were  able  to  avoid  the  spots 
poisoned  by  the  dry  powder  and  to  find  plenty  of 
food  which  the  poison  had  not  touched  or  from 
which  it  had  been  blown.  The  salt  was  of  no  value 
whatever,  as  it  only  caused  the  worms  to  leave  the 
cabbages  and  to  pupate  a  little  earlier  than  they 
would  naturally  do.  It  was  estimated  by  the  owner 
that  the  plats  treated  with  the  poisoned  resin  mix- 
ture yielded  100  per  cent,  better  than  the  untreated 
plats  and  at  least  60  per  cent,  better  than  those  pow- 
dered with  Paris  green  and  flour. 

On  Cauliflower. — The  tests  on  cauliflower  have 
not  been  as  thorough  nor  the  results  as  marked.  The 
erect,  crowded  position  of  the  leaves  of  the  cauli- 
flower makes  it  difficult  to  secure  a  perfect  film  of 
the  mixture  on  the  entire  surface ;  and  the  mixture 
must  not  be  applied  after  the  "flower"  is  exposed 


INJURIOUS    INSECTS.  IO3 

lest  there  be  danger  of  poisoning  the  human,  as  well 
as  the  insect,  consumer.  Yet  the  owner  of  the  fields 
upon  which  the  tests  have  been  made  says,  "I  am 
satisfied  that  it  would  have  paid  me  to  spray  the 
entire  field."* 

Cost  of  Treatment. — To  make  two  applications 
upon  ten  acres  of  late  cabbage  after  the  plants  are 
two-thirds  grown  would  require  materials  worth 
$5.00,  time  in  preparing  stock  solution,  75  cents, 
and  ten  days'  labor,  which  at  $1.50  a  day  would  be 
$15.00,  a  total  of  $20.75,  or  about  $2.00  per  acre. 

Precautions. — As  noted  before,  a  strong,  well 
made  knapsack  sprayer  must  be  used,  as  the  mixture 
is  liable  to  clog  valves  and  nozzles  and  cause  severe 
straining  of  a  light  sprayer.  The  workman  must 
be  close  to  his  work  and  must  thoroughly  coat  every 
leaf,  both  upper  and  under  surface.  There  is  but 
very  slight  danger  of  poisoning  cabbage  with  the 
mixture,  as  only  the  outer  leaves  are  touched  by  the 
spray  and  these  are  thrown  away  in  preparation  for 
the  table.  Cauliflower  must  not  be  sprayed  after 
the  "flower"  is  exposed.  Only  careful  workmen 
should  be  trusted  to  make  the  late  spraying  upon  the 
cauliflower,  and  all  heads  should  be  passed  over  that 
are  too  far  advanced.! 

*In  addition  it  has  been  found  that  in  using  the  resin-lime  solution  upon 
rapidly  growing  cauliflower  warty  excrescences  are  formed  upon  the  leaves, 
thus  indicating  a  slight  injury.  Hence  for  cauliflower  it  is  more  safe  to  use 
only  half  the  quantity  of  resin  solution  and  lime. 

^Otfier  Measures— Since  the  above  was  published,  it  has  been  found  that 
the  new  arsenate— arsenate  of  lead— is  much  easier  to  prepare  and  apply,  and 
if  care  is  used  to  apply  it  lightly  and  in  a  perfect  mist  while  the  plants  are 
dry,  it  will  be  evenly  distributed  and  when  once  dry  will  adhere  nearly  as  well 
as  the  resin-lime  solution.  It  has  the  further  advantage  of  never  injuring  the 
plants.  Many  growers  practice  the  use  of  dry  Paris  green  applied  by  means 
of  blowers  or  jsowder  guns.  Frequently  the  Paris  green  is  diluted  with  flour 
or  with  airslaked  lime,  using  ten  or  fifteen  parts  of  the  flour  to  one  of  the  arse- 
nate. This  answers  fairly  well,  if  applied  while  the  plants  are  covered  with  a 
light  dew,  but  a  light  rain  or  a  heavy  dew  soon  washes  it  into  the  folds  of  the 
leaves,  with  the  result  of  burning.  Furthermore  this  method  is  of  little  value 
in  controlling  the  cabbage  looper. 


IO4  INJURIOUS    INSECTS. 

Conclusions. — It  seems  firmly  established  (i) 
that  resin-lime  mixture  and  Paris  green,  thoroughly 
and  carefully  applied  when  plants  are  one-third 
grown  and  again  just  before  the  heads  are  formed, 
will  almost  wholly  prevent  damage  to  late  cabbage 
and  cauliflower;  (2)  that  the  expense  need  not 
exceed  $2.00  per  acre,  and  (3)  that  there  need 
be  no  danger  to  the  consumer  from  such  treat- 
ment. 

THE  CABBAGE  PLUTELLA. 

This  moth  has  been  described  under  the  follow- 
ing names :  'The  Web  Moth,"  "the  Cabbage  Leaf- 
miner,"  "the  Diamond-back  Turnip  Moth,"  "the 
Diamond-back  Cabbage  Moth,"  "the  Diamond- 
back  Moth,"  and  "the  European  Cabbage  Web 
Moth."  The  caterpillar  is  a  pale  green  worm  about 
one-fourth  inch  long,  with  stiff  dark  hairs  scattered 
over  the  body.  It  is  usually  found  hidden  under  a 
web.  If  touched  it  will  fall  a  short  distance  and 
hang  by  a  delicate  silken  thread.  When  feeding  it 
usually  leaves  its  web,  especially  when  nearly  full 
grown.  When  full  grown,  the  larva  spins  a  thin 
cocoon  in  a  fold  on  either  side  of  the  leaf.  The  moth 
is  rarely  seen  except  when  frightened  from  its  hid- 
ing place.  Thorough  treatment  with  arsenites  for 
the  cabbage  butterfly  will  prevent  any  unusual  out- 
break of  the  plutella. 

THE  ZEBRA  CATERPILLAR. 

Though  rarely  occurring  in  injurious  numbers, 
this  pest  sometimes  attacks  late  cabbages  and  other 
Brassicas.  It  is  easily  distinguished  by  its  velvety 


INJURIOUS    INSECTS. 


105 


black  color,  tawny  red  head  and  legs,  and  two  yellow 
lines  along  each  side  of  the  body;  between  which 
are  many  irregular  white  zebra-like  lines.  When 
full  grown  it  is  two  inches  long.  It  is  three-brooded 
and  passes  the  winter  in  the  pupa  state.  It  feeds 
indiscriminately  on  quite  a  number  of  plants.  The 


Fig.  17 — Zebra  Caterpillar  and  Moth. 

larva  is  seen  in  Fig.  17,  at  a,  and  the  fully  grown 
moth  at  b. 

When  young  the  larvae  are  congregated  upon 
a  few  leaves  and  may  easily  be  checked  by  hand 
picking.  Later  they  can  be  destroyed  by  the  applica- 
tion of  hot  water,  insect  powder,  or  kerosene 
emulsion  or  by  use  of  the  arsenites. 


CUTWORMS. 


There  are  a  number  of  species  of  cutworms, 
nearly  all  of  which,  however,  are  similar  in  habits 


IO6  INJURIOUS    INSECTS. 

and  history,  and  the  methods  of  destroying  them 
are  the  same.  Professor  C.  M.  Weed  recommends : 
( i )  The  killing  of  the  worms  before  the  crops  are 
planted  by  strewing  over  the  soil  bunches  of  fresh 
clover,  or  cabbage  leaves,  which  have  been  treated 
with  Paris  green,  or  London  purple,  either  by  dip- 
ping into  a  solution  of  the  poison,  or  dusting  it  on 
dry.  The  half  grown  worms  prowling  about  in 
search  of  food  eat  of  the  baits  thus  set  and  are 
destroyed  before  doing  any  harm.  Of  course  care 
must  be  taken  that  poultry  or  stock  do  not  get  at  the 
poisoned  leaves.*  (2)  Placing  boards  on  the  ground 
in  and  about  the  garden  or  field,  and  collecting  in 
the  morning  the  worms  that  will  congregate  beneath 
them  during  the  night.  (  3  )  Digging  out  the  worms 
where  plants  have  been  cut  off.  This  is  practicable 
in  most  cases,  and  is  well  worth  doing,  thus  prevent- 
ing further  damage. 

THE  CABBAGE  ROOT  MAGGOT. 

The  presence  of  this  pest,  when  it  occurs  in 
considerable  abundance,  is  indicated  by  a  checking 
of  the  growth  of  the  plant,  a  tendency  to  wilt  badly 
under  a  hot  sun,  and  a  sickly  bluish  cast  of  the 
foliage.  On  pulling  the  wilted  plant,  most  of  the 
roots  wrill  be  found  to  have  been  eaten,  and  the 
remainder  in  a  decaying  condition.  The  adults  are 
small,  black,  two-Wnged  flies  resembling  the  com- 
mon house  fly.  They  appear  in  early  spring  and 
deposit  their  eggs  in  crevices  of  the  soil  close  to  their 

*A  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  bran  and  middlings,  twelve  or  fifteen  pounds 
mixed  with  one  pound  of  Paris  green,  answers  as  well  for  a  bait  as 
poisoned  leaves.  This  can  be  used  dry  or  wet. 


INJURIOUS    INSECTS.  IO7 

food  plants  and  often  upon  the  plants  themselves. 
In  a  short  time  these  hatch  into  maggots,  which  at 
once  attack  the  roots.  The  maggots  become  fully 
grown  in  three  or  four  weeks,  when  they  leave 
the  roots,  and  transform  to  pupae.  The  adults 
emerge  from  the  puparia  usually  in  from  fifteen 
to  twenty  days. 

The  best  (or  one  of  the  best)  method  of  pre- 
venting the  work  of  the  cabbage  maggot,  or  to 
protect  from  the  maggot  is  to  plant  cabbages  and 
allied  vegetables  in  a  new  place  each  year,  as  far 
removed  from  the  ground  on  which  they  were  raised 
the  preceding  year  as  possible.  The  best  insecticide 
for  this  pest  is  an  emulsion  of  carbolic  acid, 
employed  to  the  roots  of  the  plants.  The  best 
mechanical  device  for  preventing  their  work  is 
tarred  paper  disks  placed  about  the  plants. 

THE  HARLEQUIN  CABBAGE  BUG. 

The  harlequin  cabbage  bug,  or  calico  back,  is  an 
oval,  somewhat  flattened  black  bug,  with  bright  red 
and  yellow  markings  arranged  as  seen  in  Fig.  18, 
a,  b,  showing  young  bugs ;  c,  d,  e,  eggs ;  f,  g,  adult, 
natural  size.  It  lives  all  the  year  round  in  the  more 
southern  United  States  upon  cabbage,  mustard, 
radish,  and  cruciferous  plants,  puncturing  the 
leaves  with  its  beak,  and  causing  them  to  wither 
and  dry. 

This  insect  was  originally  an  inhabitant  of 
Mexico  and  Central  America.  It  appeared  in  Texas 
in  1866,  and  gradually  spread,  from  year  to  year,  to 
the  north  and  east.  The  eggs  are  about  one- 


108  INJURIOUS    INSECTS. 

twentieth  of  an  inch  long,  and  are  usually  deposited 
in  two  parallel  rows  of  about  half  a  dozen  each. 
The  eggs  hatch  on  the  third  or  fourth  day  after  lay- 
ing, and  the  young  bugs  go  through  all  their  molts 
and  are  ready  for  reproduction  in  about  two  weeks. 
There  are  many  generations  in  the  course  of  the 
summer.  On  the  advent  of  winter  the  adult  insects 
crawl  away  under  any  kind  of  rubbish  to  hibernate, 
reappearing  in  the  spring  and  flying  to  the  first  cru- 
ciferous plants  which  come  from  the  ground. 

According  to  Professor  H.  E.  Weed  of  the 
Mississippi  experiment  station,  there  is  but  one  effi- 


Fig.  1 8 — Harlequin  Cabbage  Bug. 

cient  remedy  for  this  insect,  which  is  to  destroy  the 
brood  that  lives  over  winter  when  they  congregate 
upon  mustard  and  radish  plants.  Here  they  can  be 
destroyed  very  easily  by  the  application  of  kerosene 
by  means  of  a  common  water  bucket  or  sprinkler. 
If  the  insects  are  thus  destroyed  early  in  the  season 
it  will  wholly  prevent  injury  later.  The  mustard  or 
radishes  should  be  planted  in  the  cabbage  field.  The 
bugs  will  congregate  on  these  plants,  and  may  be 
killed  by  applying  kerosene,  as  mentioned.  The 


INJURIOUS    INSECTS.  109 

bugs  will  not  injure  the  cabbage  as  long  as  there  are 
mustard  or  radish  tops  for  them  to  eat. 

THE  CABBAGE  APHIS. 

Next  to  the  imported  cabbage  worm,  this  spe- 
cies is  perhaps  the  most  injurious  insect  enemy  of 
the  cabbage.  Nearly  as  many  remedies  have  been 
recommended  for  this  pest  as  for  the  European  cab- 
bage worm.  It  should  be  remembered  that  plant 
lice  are  only  killed  by  insecticides  which  smother  or 
kill  by  contact.  None  of  the  poisons  will  kill  them. 
The  best  remedy  for  outdoor  purposes  is  kerosene 
emulsion  diluted  with  ten  parts  water.  It  should 
be  applied  to  the  lower  as  well  as  the  upper  sides  of 
the  leaves,  and,  if  possible,  while  the  cabbage  are 
small.  In  a  number  of  tests  of  Pyrethrum,  or 
Buhach,  Persian  insect  powder  and  tobacco  dust, 
tobacco  was  found  to  be  the  most  active  killing 
agent.  Pyrethrum  and  Persian  insect  powder  are 
considered  good,  but  are  liable  to  be  adulterated  and 
to  lose  their  strength. 


FUNGOUS  DISEASES. 


CLUB   ROOT. 


The  injury  to  the  cabbage  and  turnip  crops 
attacked  by  club  root  may  be  considerable,  some- 
times incurring  almost  a  total  loss,  and  in  the  aggre- 
gate the  destruction  for  the  whole  country  is  doubt- 
less represented  by  millions  of  dollars.  It  is  particu- 
larly severe  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  United 
States,  but  is  not  unknown  in  the  west  and  south. 
The  following  excellent  account  of  this  pest  was 
given  by  Dr.  B.  D.  Halsted,  botanist  of  the  New 
Jersey  experiment  station,  in  the  columns  of  the 
American  Agriculturist: 

The  Nature  of  Club  Root. — In  order  that 
the  reader  may  derive  the  most  practical  good 
from  any  suggestions  as  to  use  of  preventives, 
and  other  treatment  of  the  disease,  it  is  best 
to  place  before  him  the  facts  thus  far  obtained 
concerning  club  root.  The  name  of  the  malady  is 
quite  descriptive,  for  it  is  an  affection  of  the  roots, 
which  become  much  distorted.  The  roots  may 
begin  to  show  enlargements  while  they  are  quite 
small  and  before  the  plants  are  more  than  seedlings. 
Thus  cabbages  while  growing  in  the  hotbed  may 
show  unmistakable  signs  of  "clubbing,"  followed  by 
a  loss  of  vitality  throughout  the  whole  plant.  The 
affected  parts  soon  begin  to  decay,  becoming  very 
offensive,  and,  from  places  near  by,  other  roots  are 

no 


FUNGOUS  DISEASES.  1 1 1 

developed  which,  in  turn,  become  swollen  and  dis- 
torted into  various  shapes.  Of  the  most  interest  in 
this  connection  is  the  cause  of  the  peculiar  develop- 
ment and  consequent  destruction  of  the  infested 
plants.  As  in  nearly  all  instances  of  similar  abnor- 
mal structures,  these  root  galls  were  long  ago 
assigned  to  insects.  A  careful  study  of  their  devel- 
opment failed,  however,  to  convict  any  species  or 
group  of  insects  of  these  depredations,  and  after 
much  speculation,  and  no  end  of  articles  in  the  agri- 
cultural journals  and  elsewhere,  it  was  reserved  for 
M.  Woronin,  a  European  botanist,  after  three  years 
of  painstaking  and  exhaustive  study,  to  explain  the 
nature  of  the  subject  before  us.  Instead  of  any 
insects  being  the  cause,  although  such  decaying 
masses  usually  become  the  breeding  places  for  them, 
Woronin  found  that  a  low  form  of  fungus  was  con- 
stantly present  in  the  affected  parts.  This  parasitic 
organism  is  only  seen  with  the  higher  powers  of  the 
compound  microscope.  The  family  of  fungi  to 
which  it  belongs,  namely,  the  slime  molds,  is  widely 
distinct  from  the  mildews,  rusts  and  smuts.  The 
life  of  the  obscure  club  root  parasite  has  been  traced 
from  its  appearance  in  the  root  as  a  slime  in  certain 
cells  to  the  formation  of-  multitudes  of  spores  in 
these  same  cells.  By  the  decay  of  the  roots,  which 
takes  place  rapidly,  and  with  much  offensive  odor, 
the  spores  are  set  free  in  the  soil.  These  spores  there 
germinate  by  producing  moving  bodies  capable  of 
penetrating,  or  being  absorbed  by  the  thin  walls  of 
the  hairs  and  other  superficial  cells  of  the  roots.  The 
soil  becomes  diseased  in  the  sense  that  the  germs, 
formed  in  the  swellings  and  other  distortions  of  the 
roots,  are  set  free,  and  the  earth  holds  them  for  an 


112 


FUNGOUS  DISEASES. 


indefinite  length  of  time.  Fig.  19  shows  three  small 
badly  "clubbed"  cabbage  plants  half  natural  size; 
Fig.  20  are  young  turnips  similarly  ruined,  while 


Fig.  19— Club  Root  of  Cabbage. 

affected  cauliflower  plants  are  shown  in  Fig.  21. 
These  engravings  are  all  from  photographs  of 
freshly  collected  plants,  and  are  not  the  worst  speci- 
mens of  the  malady  that  might  have  been  selected. 


FUNGOUS  DISEASES. 


Brussels  sprouts  and  kale  were  found  equally  badly 
diseased. 


Fig.  20 — Club  Root  of  Turnip. 

Club  Root  in  Weeds. — In  addition  to  the  plants 
above  named  the  club  root  fungus  ( Plasmodiophora 


114 


FUNGOUS  DISEASES. 


Brassicae,  Wor.)  infests  the  cultivated  stock,  and 
candytuft,  but  in  this  country  to  no  alarming  extent. 
In  this  connection  it  is,  however,  interesting  to  add 


Fig.  21 — Club  Root  of  Cauliflower. 


two  genera  of  weeds  upon  species  of  which  the  galls 
of  slime  molds  have  been  recently  found  in  abun- 
dance, namely,  the  shepherd's  purse  and  hedge  mus- 
tard. Fig.  22  shows  a  group  of  the  infested  roots 


FUNGOUS  DISEASES. 


of  the   shepherd's  purse  reproduced  natural   size. 
The  reader  needs  to  bear  in  mind  that  these  roots 


Fig.  22— Club  Root  of  Shepherd's  Purse. 

are  neither  large  nor  fleshy,  and  the  galls  are  corre- 
spondingly small.  The  enlargement  is  usually  just 
below  the  crown,  but  other  parts  of  the  root  system 


Il6  FUNGOUS  DISEASES. 

may  be  affected.  In  Fig.  23  is  shown  a  similar 
group  of  the  diseased  roots  of  the  hedge  mustard. 
Here  the  galls  are  nearer  hemispherical  and  may  be 


Fig.  23— Club  Root  of  Hedge  Mustard. 

expected  at  any  place  upon  the  roots.  These  weeds 
bearing  the  club  root  were  found  in  the  vicinity  of 
infested  fields  of  cabbage  and  turnip,  and  help  to 


FUNGOUS  DISEASES.  II? 

account  for  the  latter,  as  such  weeds  growing  in 
waste  land  serve  to  keep  up  continuous  germs  of 
the  disease. 

Precautions  and  Treatment. — From  a  consider- 
ation of  the  nature  of  the  club  root  fungus  and  a 
knowledge  of  the  different  kinds  of  plants  infested 
by  it,  there  may  be  some  suggestions  gathered  as  to 
preventive  measures.  When  it  is  understood  that 
the  club  root  and  all  the  injury  to  the  crop  accom- 
panying it  is  due  to  an  internal  subterranean  para- 
site, it  becomes  evident  that  no  treatment  to  which 
the  infested  plant  may  be  subjected  can  give  promise 
of  a  cure.  Preventive  measures  must  be  relied  upon, 
and,  in  the  first  place,  all  the  refuse  of  a  cabbage, 
turnip  or  other  infested  crop  should  be  removed  from 
the  soil  and  burned.  To  leave  cabbage  stumps  in 
the  field,  to  feed  them  to  live  stock,  or  to  throw  them 
in  the  compost  heaps,  are  three  of  the  worst  methods 
of  propagating  and  spreading  the  malady  on  the 
farm.  It  is  not  enough  to  destroy  the  roots,  for  the 
Plasmodiophora  is  found  also  in  the  leaves  and  stems 
of  infested  plants.  Seedlings  of  cruciferous  plants 
grown  in  the  hotbed  should  be  examined  carefully, 
and.  if  they  show  signs  of  the  club  root,  consigned 
to  the  fire.  If  only  a  few  portions  of  the  plants  are 
clubbed,  it  may  be  wise  to  discard  the  whole  lot 
rather  than  lose  the  crop  in  the  field.  Start  with 
healthy  plants.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  soil  may 
become  more  or  less  impregnated  with  the  germs 
during  the  growth  of  a  crop  susceptible  to  the 
Plasmodiophora,  it  is  evident  that  a  wise  precaution 
consists  in  a  judicious  rotation  of  crops.  Just  what 
that  rotation  should  be,  is  a  question  for  each  grower 
to  decide  for  himself,  but,  for  the  test  results,  cab- 


Il8  FUNGOUS  DISEASES. 

bages,  or  any  allied  crop,  should  not  be  upon  the  soil 
oftener  than  once  in  three  years.  Cabbage,  kale, 
Brussels  sprouts,  kohl-rabi,  turnips  or  radishes 
should  not  follow  each  other,  if  club  root  is  preva- 
lent in  the  ground. 

It  is  possible  to  get  relief  by  the  use  of  some  of 
the  commercial  fertilizers;  but  this  needs  confirma- 
tion through  trial.  It  is  a  fact  that  is  being  acted 
upon  in  some  of  the  large  truck  regions  near  New 
York,  that  lime  is  an  effective  preventive  of  the  club 
root,  and,  by  its  constant  use,  at  the  rate  of  seventy- 
five  bushels  or  so  per  acre  each  year,  cabbages  have 
been  grown  at  frequent  intervals  almost  yearly  upon 
the  same  soil.  It  is  likely  that  a  soil  naturally 
abounding  in  lime  may  be  the  best  suited  for  crucif- 
erous crops,  so  far  as  club  root  is  concerned.  Lastly, 
it  has  been  shown  that  common  cruciferous  weeds 
harbor  the  fungus  enemy,  and,  while  the  farmer  may 
be  thankful  for  the  loss  of  his  hedge  mustard  and 
shepherd's  purse,  through  "clubbing,"  this  is  a  case 
where  such  weeds  can  be  more  cheaply  destroyed  in 
some  other  way. 

In  a  special  bulletin  of  the  New  Jersey  agricul- 
tural experiment  station,  Dr.  Halsted  summarizes 
the  conclusions  derived  from  the  latest  experiments 
and  investigations  as  follows: 

Thirty-five  to  fifty  bushels  of  air-slaked  lime, 
when  applied  to  the  surface  of  the  soil,  preferably 
the  preceding  season,  and  worked  in,  is  a  practical 
remedy  for  club  root. 

Gas  lime,  kainit,  wood  ashes,  copper  sulphate, 
corrosive  sublimate,  salt,  sulphur,  calcium  carbonate 
and  sodium  carbonate  have  all  proved  unsatisfactory 
as  remedies  for  club  root. 


FUNGOUS  DISEASES.  1 1 9 

Variety  tests  show  that  round  turnips  growing 
well  out  of  the  soil  are  much  less  susceptible  to  the 
disease  than  those  varieties  which  run  deeply  and 
are  much  branched. 

Irrigation  favors  the  development  of  the  club 
root.  Buckwheat  seems  to  have  a  wholesome  effect 
upon  land  infested  with  the  club  root  germs,  but 
further  tests  are  needed  to  warrant  conclusions. 

Shading  has  very  little  effect  upon  the  activity 
of  the  Plasmodiophora. 

Many  kinds  of  plants  may  be  infested  with  the 
disease,  but  none  outside  of  the  mustard  family  were 
found  susceptible. 

The  club  root  germs  will  remain  alive  for  a 
long  time  in  the  soil. 

Soil  may  be  inoculated  by  using  infested  cab- 
bage or  turnips,  either  applied  directly  to  the  soil  or 
by  using  the  manure  from  animals  to  which  the  club 
root  cabbages  or  turnips  have  been  fed. 

Winter  ridging  of  the  infested  land  decreases 
the  disease  in  the  following  crop,  but  only  to  a 
limited  extent. 

BLACK  ROT.* 

A  great  many  parasitic  diseases  of  plants  have 
been  known  for  many  years,  but  now  and  then  an 
apparently  new  malady  makes  its  appearance,  sweep- 
ing through  sections  of  country,  leaving  devastated 
fields  in  its  wake.  Such  is  the  case  with  the  cabbage 
rot,  a  disease  whose  nature  has  not  hitherto  been 
thoroughly  recognized,  but  one  which  has  made 

*Condensed  from  Bulletin  No.  66  of  the  Vermont  Experiment  Station, 
by  Professor  L.  R.  Jones  ;  and  from  Bulletin  No.  65  of  the  Wisconsin  Experi- 
ment Station,  by  Professor  H.  L.  Russell,  from  which  the  illustrations 
used  were  reproduced 


120 


FUNGOUS  DISEASES. 


serious  inroads  in  different  localities.  Fig.  24 
shows  a  field  of  cabbage  in  Racine,  Wisconsin,  dev- 
astated by  the  rot,  from  which  not  a  single  head 
was  harvested. 

While  the  disease  is  more  important  in  its  rela- 
tion to  cabbage  culture,  on  account  of  the  relative 
amount  of  this  crop  grown,  it  also  affects  a  number 
of  allied  species  that  belong  to  the  same  genus. 


Fig.  24— Cabbage  Field  Destroyed  by  the  Rot. 

Besides  cabbage  and  cauliflower,  kohl-rabi,  kale, 
Brussels  sprouts,  broccoli  and  collards  are  attacked 
by  it,  and  to  a  lesser  extent  it  develops  in  turnips, 
rutabagas,  winter  radish  and  other  closely  related 
vegetables. 

Symptoms  and  Cause. — The  first  indication  of 
the  disease  is  upon  the  outer  leaves  of  the  cabbage 
and  cauliflower,  which  turn  yellow  and  die  in  spots, 


FUNGOUS  DISEASES. 


121 


usually  at  or  near  the  margin.  Careful  examina- 
tion shows  that  the  veins  in  the  dead  areas  are  black- 
ened. These  spots  enlarge,  following  down  the 
veins  toward  the  stem.  The  disease  upon  reaching 
the  stem  may  pass  up  or  down  it  into  other  leaves,, 


Fig.  25 — Diseased  Cabbage  Stem. 

and  once  established  there  it  rapidly  spreads  thus 
through  the  entire  plant. 

The  germs  which  are  the  cause  of  the  malady 
spread  exclusively  through  the  vessels  or  fibrous 
portions  of  the  tissue.  These  invaded  vessels  turn 
black,  and  this  striking  discoloration  is  a  valuable 
diagnostic  feature  of  the  disease  'which  every  cab- 
bage grower  should  learn  to  recognize.  Fig.  25 
shows  the  black  spots  in  the  leaf  scars.  These  spots 


122 


FUNGOUS  DISEASES. 


are  a  sure  sign  of  the  black  rot,  showing  that  the 
germs  have  already  passed  from  the  leaves  into  the 
stems. 

If  the  stem  of  a  healthy  cabbage  leaf  be  cut 
across,  these  vessels  are  seen  forming  faint  yellowish 
spots  in  the  interior,  in  marked  contrast  to  the  black 
spots  seen  in  the  badly  diseased  leaf.  In  case  of 


Fig.  26— Healthy  Cabbage  Leaf,  Showing  Water  Beads  Along 
the  Margin. 

leaves  which  are  but  partly  diseased,  only  those  ves- 
sels leading  into  the  diseased  areas  will  become 
blackened.  Anyone  seeing  suspicious  looking  leaves 
on  his  cabbage  plants  may  therefore  readily  satisfy 
himself  as  to  whether  it  is  this  black  rot,  by  cutting 
off  the  dying  leaf  stems  and  examining  their  freshly 
cut  surface  for  these  black  dots.  If  it  proves  to  be 


FUNGOUS  DISEASES. 


123 


this  malady  prompt  measures  should  be  taken  to 
prevent  its  spread  and  also  to  lessen  the  chance  of 
the  permanent  establishment  of  the  germs  in  the 
soil.  In  order  to  do  this  intelligently  one  should 
understand  how  the  disease  spreads. 

Mode  of  Spread. — If  the  leaves  of  a  vigorous 
cabbage  in  moist  soil  be  examined  in  the  early  morn- 
ing tiny  drops  of  water  will  often  be  found  borne 


A 


Fig.  27 — Leaf  in  the  Early  Stages  of  the  Rot. 

upon  the  margin  of  the  leaves,  as  seen  at  w  in 
Fig.  26.  These  water  beads  have  exuded  from  the 
interior  of  the  leaf  through  the  pores,  which  are 
exceptionally  large  at  these  points.  The  germs  most 
commonly  find  entrance  into  the  leaf  by  lodging  in 
one  of  these  water  beads  and  thence  passing  through 
the  pores  into  the  veinlets,  shown  at  v.  In 
addition,  they  are  doubtless  often  introduced  and 


124  FUNGOUS  DISEASES. 

spread  by  cabbage-eating  insects  which  pass  from 
the  diseased  to  the  healthy  leaves.  The  manner  of 
infection  is  shown  in  Fig.  27.  The  disease  has 
invaded  to  areas  which  are  left  white  in  the  illustra- 
tion (B  B),  with  the  veins  blackened  (G  C).  In  one 
case  the  germs  entered  through  the  water  pores  (D), 
in  the  other  along  the  margins  of  the  hole  eaten  by 
insects  (A). 

If  rotting  cabbage  plants  are  left  in  the  field, 
the  germs  pass  the  winter  in  the  soil  and  reinfect 
cabbages,  turnips  or  weed  plants  which  may  grow 
thereon  the  next  season. 

If  fed  to  stock  they  pass  into  the  manure  and 
are  similarly  propagated  in  that  way. 

Remedial  Measures. — Consideration  of  the 
above  facts  shows  the  need  of  the  following  pre- 
ventive or  remedial  measures  where  the  disease  is. 
observed : 

Cabbages  or  turnips  should  not  be  planted  a 
second  year  upon  land  where  the  disease  is  observed. 
In  view  of  the  dangers  from  this  disease  and  club 
root,  it  is  better  in  any  case  to  rotate  these  crops 
with  others.  The  seed  bed  also  should  be  made  in 
new  soil  each  year. 

Diseased  cabbages  should  never  be  fexl  to  ani- 
mals uncooked.  Manure  from  animals  fed  on  gar- 
den refuse  should  not  be  used  on  soil  intended  for 
cabbages. 

Keep  the  plants  as  free  as  possible  from  insects. 

Where  the  disease  has  once  appeared,  the  cab- 
bage field  should  be  watched,  and  during  August 
and  September  should  be  systematically  gone  over 
and  all  leaves  removed  and  destroyed  as  soon  as  they 


FUNGOUS  DISEASES.  125 

show  evidence  of  the  disease.  In  case  the  germs 
have  invaded  the  stem  (as  shown  by  the  blackened 
vessels  at  the  junction  of  diseased  leaf  and  stem) 
the  entire  plant  should  be  uprooted  and  destroyed. 
This  destruction  should  be  by  fire  or  deep  burial. 

No  plants  of  kale,  wild  mustard  or  other  related 
weed  which  may  harbor  the  disease  should  be 
allowed  to  grow  in  or  near  the  cabbage  field. 


INDEX. 


PAGE 

Broccoli    .......................  81 

Brussels   Sprouts    ..............   86 

cultivation    of     ...............  86 

varieties    of     .................  89 

Bulb   lands  of   Holland    .........  iv 

Cabbage,   its  history  .............  17 

All   Head    .................  23-53 

All  Seasons  and  Vandergaw  ----  52 

and  cauliflower  plants  injured 

by  a  check  in  transplanting.  .36 
conditions  of  soil  for  ..........  26 

cultivation   ..................  46 

distance  apart  to  set  ........  28-38 

favored  soils  for   .............  26 

for  sauerkraut    ...............  68 

groups  of  ....................  24 

Danish  Ball  Head  group    ......  65 

Flat     Dutch     or      Drum-head 
group    .................  ;  ...  58 

intermediate  sorts  group    ......  59 

6 


red   cabbage  group 

Savoy  group    .................    1 

Wakefield  and   Winningstadt.  .  .54 
how  much   seed   per  acre  ......  44 

intermediate  sorts    ............  59 

Mammoth    Rock    Red  ..........  64 

Market      Gardener's      Private 

Stock     ....................  60 

new     varieties     due     to     local 

causes   .....................  19 

planting   the    seed     where   the 

plants  are  to  grow    .........  41 

quality  changed  by  cultivation.  .47 
rotation    of   crops    ............  44 

seed  bed,  its  location     ........  30 

how    to    prepare     for    a    late 

crop     ......................  33 

how  much  per  acre   ...........  44 

selection    the    parent    of    new 

varieties   ...................  1  8 

selection  as  practiced  on  Long 

Island     ....................  18 

soils  and  situations  for  ........  25 

Stein's,    how    secured     ........  24 

the    Alpha  .........  .  ..........  66 

to    keep    through    winter    for 

the   market    ................  48 

to    keep    through     winter    for 

family  use  .................  51 

transplanting     ................  35 

types  and  varieties  ............  51 


PAGE 

Cauliflower    69 

as  an  early  summer  crop 72 

cultivation    69 

grown  under   glass    72 

sensitive  to  checks    71 

-  varieties    74 

seed     74 

Collards    82 

branching     85 

Corn  making  two  sets  of  roots,  .xiii 
Cultivator    the   cause   of    failure 

of    crops    xv 

Deep   planting  a   cause  of   fail- 
ure      xiii 

Feeding  roots  of  plants    xii 

Fungous  diseases no 

club  root no 

black   rot    119 

German  greens  or  sprouts 92 

Insects,    injurious    96 

cabbage  worm 96 

Pieris     rapae     96 

cabbage    looper     98 

Plusia    brassicae    98 

cabbage  plutella   104 

zebra    caterpillar    104 

cutworms    105 

cabbage  maggot    i 06 

harlequin  cabbage  bug   107 

cabbage  aphis    109 

Intensive    farming     viii 

Kale  or  borecole    90 

Scotch 91 

Siberian    91 

brown   or  purple    92 

Kohl-rabi      93 

how    to    cook    95 

varieties     94 

Lime,  the  value  of.  .*. . .46 

Manure,   to  be  always  in  readi- 
ness      viii 

value   of,    lost   in    application,  .viii 

Sauerkraut,   cabbage   for    68 

Seed  beds    x 

Seeds,  why  they  fail  to  grow x 

systematic   assistance   in   serv- 
ing      xiv 

to  be  sown  at  the  proper  time,    x 

Soil   an   arbitrary   question    iv 

Tillage  essential  to  good  crops.,.. v 


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cultural  directions  are  plainly  stated,  practical  and  to 
the  point.  Cloth,  12mo $1.50 

Irrigation  Farming. 

By  Lute  Wilcox.  A  handbook  for  the  practical  applica- 
tion of  water  in  the  production  of  crops.  A  complete 
treatise  on  water  supply,  canal  construction,  reservoirs 
and  ponds,  pipes  for  irrigation  purposes,  flumes  and 
their  structure,  methods  of  applying  water,  irrigation  of 
field  crops,  the  garden,  the  orchard  and  vineyard;  wind- 
mills and  pumps,  appliances  and  contrivances.  Profuse- 
ly, handsomely  illustrated.  Cloth,  12ruo.  .  .  $L50 


STANDARD   BOOKS. 

Landscape  Gardening1. 

By  F.  A.  Waugh,  professor  of  horticulture,  University  of 
Vermont.  A  treatise*  on  the  general  principles  governing 
outdoor  art;  with  sundry  suggestions  for  their  application 
in  the  commoner  problems  of  gardening.  Every  para- 
graph is  short,  terse  and  to  the  point,  giving  perfect 
clearness  to  the  discussions  at  all  points.  In  spite  of 
the  natural  difficulty  of  presenting  abstract  principles 
the  whole  matter  is  made  entirely  plain  even  to  the 
inexperienced  reader.  Illustrated,  12mo.  Cloth.  .  $  .50 

Fungi  and  Fungicides. 

By  Prof.  Clarence  M.  Weed.  A  practical  manual  con- 
cerning the  fungous  diseases  of  cultivated  plants  and 
the  means  of  preventing  their  ravages.  The  author  has 
endeavored  to  give  such  a  concise  account  of  the  most 
important  facts  relating  to  these  as  will  enable  the 
cultivator  to  combat  them  intelligently.  222  pp.,  90  ill., 
12mo.  Paper.  50  cents;  cloth $1.00 

Talks  on  Manure. 

By  Joseph  Harris,  M.  S.  A  series  of  familiar  and  prac- 
tical talks  between  the  author  and  the  deacon,  the  doctor, 
and  other  neighbors,  on  the  whole  subject  of  manures 
and  fertilizers;  including  a  chapter  especially  written  for 
it  by  Sir  John  Bennet  Lawes  of  Rothamsted,  England. 
Cloth,  12mo.  ...  $1.50 

Insects  and  Insecticides. 

By  Clarence  M.  Weed,  D.  Sc.,  Prof,  of  entomology  and 
zoology,  New  Hampshire  college  of  agriculture.  A  prac- 
tical manual  concerning  noxious  insects,  and  methods  of 
preventing  their  injuries.  334  pages,  with  many  illus- 
trations. Cloth,  12mo $1.50 

Mushrooms.    How  to  Grow  Them. 

By  Wm.  Falconer.  This  is  the  most  practical  work  on 
the  subject  ever  written,  and  the  only  book  on  growing 
mushrooms  published  in  America.  The  author  describes 
how  he  grows  mushrooms,  and  how  they  are  grown  for 
profit  by  the  leading  market  gardeners,  and  for  home 
use  by  the  most  successful  private  growers.  Engravings 
drawn  from  nature  expressly  for  this  work.  Cloth.  $1.00 

Handbook  of  Plants  and  General  Horticulture. 

By  Peter  Henderson.  This  new  edition  comprises  about 
50  per  cent,  more  genera  than  the  former  one,  and  em- 
braces the  botanical  name,  derivation,  natural  order, 
etc.,  together  with  a  short  history  of  the  different  genera, 
concise  instructions  for  their  propagation  and  culture, 
and  all  the  leading  local  or  common  English  names, 
together  with  a  comprehensive  glossary  of  botanical  and 
technical  terms.  Plain  instructions  are  also  given  for 
the  cultivation  of  the  principal  vegetables,  fruits  and 
flowers.  Cloth,  large  8vo $3.00 


STANDARD   BOOKS. 

Ginseng1,  Its  Cultivation,   Harvesting:,  Marketing  and 
Market  Value. 

By  Maurice  G.  Kai.ns,  with  a  short  account  of  its  history 
and  botany.  It  discusses  in  a  practical  way  how  to 
begin  with  either  seed  or  roots,  soil,  climate  and  location, 
preparation,  planting-  and  maintenance  of  the  beds,  arti- 
ficial propagation,  manured,  enemies,  selection  for  mar- 
ket and  for  improvement,  preparation  for  sale,  and  the 
profits  that  may  be  expected.  This  booklet  is  concisely 
written,  well  and  profusely  illustrated,  and  should  be 
in  the  hands  of  all  who  expect  to  grow  this  drug  to 
supply  the  export  trade,  and  to  add  a  new  and  profitable 
industry  to  their  farms  and  gardens,  without  interfering 
with  the  regular  work.  12mo $  .35 

Land  Draining. 

A  handbook  for  farmers  on  the  principles  and  practice 
of  draining,  by  Manly  Miles,  giving  the  results  of  his 
extended  experience  in  laying  tile  drains.  The  directions 
for  the  laying  out  and  the  construction  of  tile  drains 
will  enable  the  farmer  to  avoid  the  errors  of  imperfect 
Construction,  and  the  disappointment  that  must  neces- 
sarily follow.  This  manual  for  practical  farmers  will 
also  be  found  convenient  for  references  in  regard  to  many 
questions  that  may  arise  in  crop  growing,  aside  from 
the  special  subjects  of  drainage  of  which  it  treats.  Cloth, 
12mo.  $1.00 

Henderson's  Practical  Floriculture. 

By  Peter  Henderson.  A  guide  to  the  successful  propaga- 
tion and  cultivation  of  florists'  plants.  The  work  is  not 
one  for  florists  and  gardeners  only,  but  the  amateur's 
wants  are  constantly  kept  in  mind,  and  we  have  a  very 
complete  treatise  on  the  cultivation  of  flowers  under 
glass,  or  in  the  open  air,  suited  to  those  who  grow  flowers 
for  pleasure  as  well  as  those  who  make  them  a  matter 
of  trade.  Beautifully  illustrated.  New  and  enlarged 
edition.  Cloth,  12mo $1.50 

Tobacco  Leaf. 

By  J.  B.  Killebrew  and  Herbert  Myrick.  Its  Culture 
and  Cure,  Marketing  and  Manufacture.  A  practical 
handbook  on  the  most  approved  methods  in  growing, 
harvesting,  curing,  packing,  and  selling  tobacco,  with  an 
account  of  the  operations  in  every  department  of  tobacco 
manufacture.  The  contents  of  this  book  are  based  on 
actual  experiments  in  field,  curing  barn,  packing  house, 
factory  and  laboratory.  It  is  the  only  work  of  the  kind 
in  existence,  and  is  destined  to  be  the  standard  practical 
and  scientific  authority  on  the  whole  subject  of  tobacco 
for  many  years.  Upwards  of  f>00  pages  and  150  original 
engravings $2.00 


STANDARD  BOOKS. 


Play  and  Profit  in  My  Garden. 

By  E.  P.  Roe.  The  author  takes  us  to  his  garden  on 
the  rocky  hillsides  in  the  vicinity  of  West  Point,  and 
shows  us  how  out  of  it,  after  four  years'  experience,  he 
evoked  a  profit  of  $1,000,  and  this  while  carrying  on  pas- 
toral and  literary  labor.  It  is  very  rarely  that  so  much 
literary  taste  and  skill  are  mated  to  so  much  agricultural 
experience  and  good  sense.  Cloth,  12mo.  .  .  $1.00 

Forest  Planting. 

By  H.  Nicholas  Jarchow,  LL.  .D.  A  treatise  on  the  care 
of  woodlands  and  the  restoration  of  the  denuded  timber- 
lands  on  plains  and  mountains.  The  author  has  fully 
described  those  European  methods  which  have  proved 
to  be  most  useful  in  maintaining  the  superb  forests  of  the 
old  world.  This  experience  has  been  adapted  to  the  dif- 
ferent climates  and  trees  of  America,  full  instructions 
being  given  for  forest  planting  of  our  various  kinds  of 
soil  and  subsoil,  whether  on  mountain  or  valley. 
Illustrated,  12mo ;••''»' V"*'-  $1.50 

Soils  and  Crops  of  the  Farm. 

By  George  E.  Morrow,  M.  A.,  and  Thomas  F.  Hunt.  The 
methods  of  making  available  the  plant  food  in  the  soil 
are  described  in  popular  language.  A  short  history  of 
each  of  the  farm  -crops  is  accompanied  by  a  discussion 
of  its  culture.  The  useful  discoveries  of  science  are 
explained  as  applied  in  the  most  approved  methods  of 
culture.  Illustrated.  Cloth,  12mo.  .  .  .  .  $1.00 

American  Fruit  Culturist. 

By  John  J.  Thomas.  Containing  practical  directions  for 
the  propagation  and  culture  of  all  the  fruits  adapted  to 
the  United  States.  Twentieth  thoroughly  revised  and 
greatly  enlarged  edition  by  Wm.  H.  S.  Wood.  This  new 
edition  makes  the  work  practically  almost  a  new  book, 
containing  everything  pertaining  to  large  and  small 
fruits  as  well  as  sub- tropical  and  tropical  fruits.  Richly 
Illustrated  by  nearly  800  engravings.  758  pp.,  12mo.  $2.50 

Fertilizers. 

By  Edward  B.  Voorhees,  director  of  the  New  Jersey  Agri- 
cultural Experiment  Station.  It  has  been  the  aim  of 
the  author  to  point  out  the  underlying  principles  and  to 
discuss  the  important  subjects  connected  with  the  use 
of  fertilizer  materials.  The  natural  fertility  of  the  soil, 
the  functions  of  manures  and  fertilizers,  and  the  need 
of  artificial  fertilizers  are  exhaustively  discussed.  Sepa- 
rate chapters  are  devoted  to  the  various  fertilizing  ele- 
ments, to  the  purchase^  chemical  analyses,  methods  of 
using  fertilizers,  and  the  best  fertilizers  for  each  of  the 
most  important  field,  garden  and  orchard  crops. 
335  pp .  .$1.00 


STANDARD  BOOKS. 


Gardening  for  Profit. 

By  Peter  Henderson.  The  standard  work  on  market  and 
family  gardening.  The  successful  experience  of  the  author 
for  more  than  thirty  years,  and  his  willingness  to  tell, 
as  he  does  in  this  work,  the  secret  of  his  success  for 
the  benefit  of  others,  enables  him  to  give  most  valuable 
information.  The  book  is  profusely  illustrated.  Cloth, 
12mo. $1.50 

Herbert's  Hints  to  Horse  Keepers. 

By  the  late  Henry  William  Herbert  (Frank  Forester). 
This  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  popular  works  on  the 
horse  prepared  in  this  country.  A  complete  manual  for 
horsemen,  embracing:  How  to  breed  a  horse;  how  to  buy 
a  horse;  how  to  break  a  horse;  how  to  use  a  horse;  how 
to  feed  a  horse;  how  to  physic  a  horse  (allopathy  or  ho- 
moeopathy): how  to  groom  a  horse;  how  to  drive  a  horse; 
how  to  ride  a  horse,  etc.  Beautifully  illustrated.  Cloth, 
12mo.  .  $1.50 

Barn  Plans  and  Outbuildings. 

Two  hundred  and  fifty-seven  illustrations.  A  most  val- 
uable work,  full  of  ideas,  hints,  suggestions,  plans,  etc., 
for  the  construction  of  barns  and  outbuildings,  by  prac- 
tical writers.  Chanters  are  devoted  to  the  economic 
erection  and  use  of  barns,  grain  barns,  house  barns, 
cattle  barns,  sheep  barns,  corn  houses,  smoke  houses, 
ice  houses,  pig  pens,  granaries,  etc.  There  are  likewise 
chapters  on  bird  houses,  dog  houses,  tool  sheds,  ventila- 
tors, roofs  and  roofing,  doors  and  fastenings,  workshops, 
poultry  houses,  manure  sheds,  barnyards,  root  pits,  etc. 
Cloth,  12mo, $1.00 

Cranberry  Culture. 

By  Joseph  J.  White.  Contents:  Natural  history,  history 
of  cultivation,  choice  of  location,  preparing  the  ground, 
planting  the  vines,  management  of  meadows,  flooding, 
enemies  and  difficulties  overcome,  picking,  keeping,  pro- 
fit and  loss.  Cloth,  12mo $1.00 

Ornamental  Gardening  for  Americans. 

By  Elias  A.  Long,  landscape  architect.  A  treatise  on 
beautifying  homes,  rural  districts  and  cemeteries.  A 
plain  and  practical  work  with  numerous  illustrations  ami 
instructions  so  plain  that  they  may  be  readily  followed. 
Illustrated.  Cloth,  12mo $1.50 

Grape  Culturist. 

By  A.  S.  Fuller.  This  is  one  of  the  very  best  of  works 
on  the  culture  of  the  hardy  grapes,  with  full  directions 
for  all  departments  of  propagation,  culture,  etc.,  with 
150  excellent  engravings,  illustrating  planting,  training 
grafting,  etc.  Cloth,  12mo $1.50 


STANDARD  BOOKS. 


Turkeys  and  How  to  Grow  Them. 

Edited  by  Herbert  Myrick.  A  treatise  on  the  natural  his- 
tory and  origin  of  the  name  of  turkeys;  the  various 
breeds,  the  best  methods  to  insure  success  in  the  business 
of  turkey  growing1.  With  essays  from  practical  turkey 
growers  in  different  parts  of  the  United  States  and  Can- 
ada. Copiously  illustrated.  Cloth,  12mo.  .  .  $100 

Profits!    Poultry. 

Usettif  and  ornamental  breeds  and  their  profitable  man- 
agement. This  excellent  work  contains  the  combined 
experience  of  a  number  of  practical  men  in  all  depart- 
ments of  poultry  raising.  It  is  profusely  illustrated  and 
forms  a  unique  and  important  addition  to  our  poultry 
literature.  Cloth,  12m  o $1.00 

How  Crops  Grow. 

By  Prof.  Samuel  W.  Johnson  of  Yale  College.  New  and 
revised  edition.  A  treatise  on  the  chemical  composition, 
structure  and  life  of  the  plant.  This  book  is  a  guide  to 
the  knowledge  of  agricultural  plants,  their  composition, 
their  structure  and  modes  of  development  and  growth; 
of  the  complex  organization  of  plants,  and  the  use  of 
the  parts;  the  germination  of  seeds,  and  the  food  of 
plants  obtained  both  from  the  air  and  the  soil.  The 
book  is  indispensable  to  all  real  students  of  agriculture. 
With  numerous  illustrations  and  tables  of  analysis.  Cloth, 
12mo. •  ,  $1.50 

Cofourn's  Swine  Husbandry, 

By  P.  D.  Coburn.  New,  revised  and  enlarged  edition.  The 
breeding,  rearing,  and  management  of  swine,  and  the 
prevention  and  treatment  of  their  diseases.  It  is  the  full- 
est and  freshest  compendium  relating  to  swine  breeding 
yet  offered.  Cloth,  12mo $1.50 

Stewart's  Shepherd's  Manual. 

By  Henry  Stewart.  A  valuable  practical  treatise  on  the 
sheep  for  American  farmers  and  sheep  growers.  It  is 
so  plain  that  a  farmer  or  a  farmer's  son  who  has  never 
kept  a  sheep,  may  learn  from  its  pages  how  to  manage 
a  flock  successfully,  and  yet  so  complete  that  even  the 
experienced  shepherd  may  gather  many  suggestions  from 
it.  The  results  of  personal  experience  of  some  years 
with  the  characters  of  the  various  modern  breeds  of 
sheep,  and  the  sheep  raising  capabilities  of  many  por- 
tions of  our  extensive  territory  and  that  of  Canada — and 
the  careful  study  of  the  diseases  to  which  our  sheep 
are  chiefly  subject,  with  those  by  which  they  may  even- 
tually be  afflicted  through  unforeseen  accidents — as  well 
as  the  methods  of  management  called  for  under  our 
circumstances,  are  carefully  described.  Illustrated.  Cloth, 
12mo $1.00 


STANDARD  BOOKS. 

Feeds  and  Feeding:. 

By  W.  A.  Henry.  This  handbook  for  students  and  stocK 
men  constitutes  a  compendium  of  practical  and  useful 
knowledge  on  plant  growth  and  animal  nutrition,  feed- 
ing stuffs,  feeding  animals  and  every  detail  pertaining 
to  this  important  subject.  It  is  thorough,  accurate  and 
reliable,  and  is  the  most  valuable  contribution  to  live 
stock  literature  in  many  years.  All  the  latest  and  best 
information  is  cleai  ly  and  systematically  presented,  mak- 
ing the  work  indispensable  to  every  owner  of  live  stock. 
658  pages,  8vo.  Cloth $2.00 

Hunter  and  Trapper. 

By  Halsey  Thrasher,  an  old  and  experienced  sportsman. 
The  best  modes  of  hunting  and  trapping  are  fully  ex- 
plained, and  foxes,  deer,  bears,  etc.,  fall  into  his  traps 
readily  by  following  his  directions.  Cloth,  12mo.  $  .50 

The  Ice  Crop. 

By  Theron  L.  Hiles.  How  to  harvest,  ship  and  use  ice. 
A  complete,  practical  treatise  for  farmers,  dairymen,  ice 
dealers,  produce  shippers,  meat  packers,  cold  storers, 
and  all  interested  in  ice  houses,  cold  storage,  and  the 
handling  or  use  of  ice  in  any  way.  Including  many 
recipes  for  iced  dishes  arid  beverages.  The  book  is 
illustrated  by  cuts  of  the  tools  and  machinery  used  in 
cutting  and  storing  ice,  and  the  different  forms  of  ice 
houses  and  cold  storage  buildings.  122  pp.,  ill.,  16mo. 
Cloth.  $1.00 

Practical  Forestry. 

By  Andrew  S.  Puller.  A  treatise  on  the  propagation, 
planting  and  cultivation,  with  descriptions  and  the  botan- 
ical and  popular  names  of  all  the  indigenous  trees  of  the 
United  States,  and  notes  on  a  large  number  of  the  most 
valuable  exotic  species $1.50 

Irrigation  for  the  Farm,  Garden  and  Orchard. 

By  Henry  Stewart.  This  work  is  offered  to  those  Amer- 
ican farmers  and  other  cultivators  of  the  soil  who,  from 
painful  experience, can  readily  appreciate  the  losses  whirh 
result  from  the  scarcity  of  water  at  critical  periods. 
Fully  illustrated.  Cloth,  12mo $1.00 

Market  Gardening  and  Farm  Notes. 

By  Burnett  T.andreth.  Experiences  and  observation  for 
both  North  and  South,  of  interest  to  the  amateur  gar- 
dener, trucker  and  farmer.  A  novel  feature  of  the  book 
is  the  calendar  of  farm  and  garden  operations  for  each 
month  of  the  year;  the  chapters  on  fertilizers,  trans- 
planting, succession  and  rotation  of  crops,  the  packing, 
shipping  and  marketing  of  vegetables  will  be  especially 
useful  to  market  gardeners.  Cloth,  12mo.  .  .  $1.00 


STAN  BAUD   BOOKS. 


rue  Fruit  Garden. 

By  P.  Barry.  A  standard  work  on  fruit  and  fruit  trees, 
the  author  having  had  over  thirty  years'  practical  expe- 
rience at  the  head  of  one  of  the  largest  nurseries  in 
this  country.  Invaluable  to  all  fruit  growers.  Illustrated. 
Cloth,  12mo. $1-50 

The  Nut  Culturist. 

By  Andrew  S.  Fuller.  A  treatise  on  the  propagation, 
planting  and  cultivation  of  nut-bearing  trees  and  shrubs 
adapted  to  the  climate  of  the  United  States,  with  the 
scientific  and  common  names  cf  the  fwiits  known  in 
commerce  as  edible  or  otherwise  useful  nuts.  Intended 
to  aid  the  farmer  to  increase  his  income  without  adding 
to  his  expenses  or  labor.  12mo.  Cloth.  .  .  $1.50 

American  Grape  Growing:  and  Wine  Making;. 

By  George  Husmann  of  California.  New  and  enlarged 
edition.  With  contributions  from  well-known  grape  grow- 
ers, giving  wide  range  of  experience.  The  author  of  this 
book  is  a  recognized  authority  on  the  subject.  Cloth, 
.  I2mo. .  .  .  '  •  $1-50 

Treat's  Injurious  Insects  of  the  Farm  and  Garden. 

By  Mrs.  Mary  Treat.  An  original  investigator  who  has 
added  much  to  our  knowledge  of  both  plants  and  insects, 
and  those  who  are  familiar  with  Darwin's  works  are 
aware  that  he  gives  her  credit  for  important  observa- 
tion and  discoveries.  New  and  enlarged  edition.  With 
an  illustrated  chapter  on  beneficial  insects.  Fully  illus- 
trated. Cloth,  12mo $1.50 

The  Dogs  of  Great  Britain,  America  and  Other  Coun- 
tries. 

New,  enlarged  and  revised  edition.  Their  breeding,  train- 
ing and  management,  in  health  and  disease;  comprising 
all  the  essential  parts  of  the  two  standard  works  on 
dogs  by  "Stonehenge."  It  describes  the  best  game  and 
hunting  grounds  in  America.  Contains  over  one  hundred 
beautiful  engravings,  embracing  most  noted  dogs  in  both 
continents,  making,  together  with  chapters  by  American 
writers,  the  most  complete  dog  book  ever  published. 
Cloth,  12mo $1.50 

Harris  on  the  Pig:. 

By  Joseph  Harris.  New  edition.  Revised  and  enlarged 
by  the  author.  The  points  of  the  various  English  and 
American  breeds  are  thoroughly  discussed,  and  the 
great  advantage  of  using  thoroughbred  males  clearly 
shown.  The  work  is  equally  valuable  to  the  farmer 
who  keeps  but  few  pigs,  and  to  the  breeder  on  an  exten- 
sive scale.  Illustrated.  Cloth,  12mo.  .  .  .  $1.00 


STANDARD   BOOKS. 

Pear  Culture  for  Profit. 

By  P.  T.  Quinn,  practical  horticulturist.  Teaching  how 
to  raise  pears  intelligently,  and  with  the  best  results, 
how  to  find  out  the  character  of  the  soil,  the  best  meth- 
ods of  preparing  it,  the  best  varieties  to  select  under 
existing  conditions,  the  best  modes  of  planting,  pruning, 
fertilizing,  grafting,  and  utilizing  the  ground  before  the 
trees  come  into  bearing,,  and,  finally,  of  gathering  and 
packing  for  market.  Illustrated.  Cloth,  12mo.  .  $1.00 

The  Secrets  of  Health,  or  How  Not  to  Be  Sick,  and 
How  to  Get  Well  from  Sickness. 

By  S.  H.  Platt,  A.  M.,  M.  D.,  late  member  of  the  Con- 
necticut Eclectic  Medical  Society,  the  National  Eclectic 
Medical  Association,  and  honorary  member  of  the  Nation- 
al Bacteriological  Society  of  America;  our  medical  editor 
and  author  of  "Talks  With  Our  Doctor"  and  "Our  Health 
Adviser "  Nearly  600  pages.  Profusely  illustrated.  An 
index  of  20  pages,  so  that  any  topic  may  be  instantly 
consulted.  A  new  departure  in  medical  knowledge  for 
the  people — the  latest  progress,  secrets  and  practices  of 
all  schools  of  healing  made  available  for  the  common 
people — health  without  medicine,  nature  without  humbug, 
common  sense  without  folly,  science  without  fraud.  12mo. 
576  pp.,  81  illustrations.  Cloth $1.50 

Gardening  for  Young:  and  Old. 

By  Joseph  Harris.  A  work  intended  to  interest  farmers' 
boys  in  farm  gardening,  which  means  a  better  and  more 
profitable  form  of  agriculture.  The  teachings  are  given 
in  the  familiar  manner  so  well  known  in  the  author's 
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12mo .  .  ...  .  $1.00 

Money  in  the  Garden. 

By  P.  T.  Quinn.  The  author  gives  in  a  plain,  practical 
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nected branches  of  gardening— the  kitchen  garden,  mar- 
ket garden  and  field  culture,  from  successful  practical 
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The  Pruning  Book. 

By  L.  H.  Bailey.  This  is  the  first  American  work  exclu- 
sively devoted  to  pruning.  It  differs  from  most  other 
treatises  on  this  subject  in  that  the  author  takes  particu- 
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every  detail.  Specific  advice  is  given  on  the  pruning  of 
the  various  kinds  of  fruits  and  ornamental  trees,  shrubs 
and  hedges.  Considerable  space  is  devoted  to  the  pruning 
and  training  of  grapevines,  both  American  and  foreign. 
Every  part  of  the  subject  is  made  so  clear  and  plain  that 
it  can  be  reaclily  understood  by  even  the  merest  beginner. 
Cloth,  8vo,  530  pages.  Illustrated $1.50 


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